Bird of a different Cage Neji
by TrisanaLonelyEyes
Summary: a girl from a different clan in the Leaf Village is forced into an arranged marriage with Neji and forced to become part of the Hyuuga clan. The MC knows nothing about Neji and hadn't talked to him before being forced to live with the Hyuuga clan
1. I'm What?

I walked back from the training ground after another long day at training. It had been another early morning and late night. I have been working on a jutsu for most of the day, but still no progress. I was beginning to doubt my own capabilities at this rate. For four days I've been working on this one stupid jutsu. Never before has it taken me so long to get one jutsu down, but this one was.

"You should just give up on it already loser," Sasuke says as I looked at my twitching hand. It hurt just to move my hand and even more to build up the chakra in it.

"Shut up," I spat back at my usual training buddy.

Sasuke and I are good friends, while he won't admit it I know that he likes having me around. I was one of the few girls who weren't fan crazed about him. We didn't bother each other when training and we could hold our own against each other. He would always give me a hard time about my training and it didn't bother me too much but there were times, like now, that I just didn't want to hear it. When that happened he would just lay off for a bit.

"We should go get something to eat," Sasuke says as he walks along side me.

"I'm not really hungry," I tell him not feeling like going out to eat. I was upset with myself for my lack of a jutsu. I couldn't figure out why it was taking so long for me to get this one down. I have the amount of chakra to do it, but I just couldn't get the stupid jutsu down.

"You need to eat as it is you're way too skinny."

"I am not! I eat my breakfast and lunch and I usually eat dinner. Not all of us eat every meal just because they can."

"So, it's ten and I saw you skip lunch today."

"Why do you care so much," I sigh. I see how he usually is and I know that if it was anyone else he wouldn't care, but for some reason he was like this with me. I skip a meal and if he knows about it I'm forced to eat with him.

"I'm supposed to be heading to Neji's house to night for a dinner Sasuke. It's a late dinner, but the main house is planning on taking me in like they did with Neji."

"But you're not a Hyuuga."

Sasuke was right, I'm not a Hyuuga I'm a Hashimoto. I have short black hair and dark blue eyes. I wore a black choker collar that represented my clan. To my clan it represented the darkness in the truth that our eyes gave us. Our eyes, when fully mastered, told us of the death of everyone around us, but never our own. Of course our eyes could do more, but it's the darkness that comes with our eyes that made us use black as our clans color. I wore the color with pride from head to toe. My shirt was a black long sleeved button down shirt, which I left the top two unbuttoned and only had three in the middle buttoned. I wore black pants that ride my hips and black boots. The truly ironic part is I don't completely like my clan.

"I know that's why I'm confused, but they were great friends with my parents and since most of my clan got slaughtered during the invasion they want to take me in. The Elder is approving this because he believes that it will help strengthen the bond between the Hyuuga and Hashimoto clan."

"The peace bringer," Sasuke says with a slight harsh laugh.

"I believe, but the dinner isn't until ten thirty. They are supposed to be telling me where I'm going to be staying."

"Do you really think you would be the best chose for this? You're proud of what you can do, but you distaste your clan."

No I don't think I'm the best choice. I distaste my clan because we are bond to the Elder and are supposed to bow down to them simply because they come from a family once strong. The family has grown so weak now and I can even take on the next in lead, who is older than me. Now I'm to moving into another clan similar to mine and live happily.

"My Elder is giving me to the Hyuuga to become one and they already have my ceremony of the branding tomorrow night." I spoke with detest in my voice. I was being traded off as if I was just someone's belonging. I didn't belong to anyone and my life wasn't just something that could be traded off. I hated this.

"Well I got to get my stuff, so see you tomorrow at training if I can." I tell Sasuke as we stand in front of the Hashimoto compound.

"See yeah," he says walking away in his usual distant hating the world way of his. There wasn't a hint of that caring side of his to be seen any more, now that I was leaving and we were in the village. That's how he is though, hateful and distant. I just seemed to be that one exception to that rule of his.

I walk into the compound and go straight to my empty house. There was no reason to tell anyone that I was home because no one would hear me. I live alone since the village was attacked during the Chunin Exam. I had been part of the Final Exam, but never had a chance to fight during the exams. It worked to my benefit though because I wasn't tired when the real fights began.

I enter my bare room to grab my few belongings. I never saw the point in accumulating anything personal because I thought they would only get in the way of my training. The only thing that was out of the normal in my room was the picture of my mother and father with me smiling. I was only seven at the time and it was during a time that I smiled more. It was only a few months after that picture was taken that I learned the truth behind my clan.

I grab the picture off of my bed side desk then head to my closet to begin packing my clothes. I only had a small duffel bag of clothes with the picture fitting nicely on top of my clothes and my weapons. I head out of my room with ten minutes to get to the compound. Fortunately the compound was only a five minute walk from my house and I could still get there early.

"Miss Hashimoto," Hiashi Hyuuga says with a polite smile as he greeted me. I've known Hiashi for most of my life growing up and since I first met Hiashi I've known of the power he holds. He is the head of the Hyuuga clan and was now the reason I was being branded and taken into the Hyuuga clan.

"Hyuuga, Hiashi," I say bowing deeply as I put on a smile of mine. "Thank you for having me over tonight and welcoming me into your clan." I was playing nice and showing respect to my higher authority, but on the inside I was resenting him. Neji had explained it to everyone what the mark does, but he didn't go into great depth. For me I didn't need him to because I've already been told the true power behind the mark that all Hyuuga's, except the Head House, bared.

"Please come in. We have made a nice dinner for tonight. I hope you're hungry and haven't eaten anything tonight." I know that he is being polite, but I could tell that there was a slight second meaning to his words.

"I have not eaten anything since I went out to train today," I tell him holding on to my smile as I slipped my shoes off.

"If you still train like you used to you must have just got done training." I nod my head.

"Yes, I had been training until ten again."

"Have you made any progress since the Chunin Exams?" He asks me question after question as he leads me to the dining table and even as were eating he's asking me more questions like this one. He wanted to know how far I've grown since the last time he saw me fight. It seemed so nice on the outside, but I could tell he really wanted to see how much more powerful this would make his clan.

"Miss Hashimoto."

"Yes," I ask before taking a bite of the food that Hinata cooked.

"Do you remember when you were younger and your parents had told you that you would be marrying a Hyuuga?"

"Uh, no I'm sorry to say I do not." I had to hold back chocking on my food by this sudden question. I don't understand where this had come from, but why he was taking me in suddenly made since to me now. He was planning on putting me with this person and live with them. He had taken me in and asked me those question because he finally found who I'm going to be married off to.

"Well that's alright. I have decided I would like you to take Neji's hand in marriage. The wedding isn't until a month from now, but I want you to get to know Neji as best you can in that month time span before the wedding." I turn my head and look at the Hyuuga boy who hasn't said a word throughout this whole dinner. I didn't really know anything about Neji other than his father had taken Hinata's fathers place in the exchange for the death of a ninja from another village. Everyone knew he didn't like the Main House and that he was strongly set in a destiny for everyone and that it couldn't be changed. That was the extent of my knowledge of Neji Hyuuga.

"You will be living in the main house with Neji and as long as it isn't too unconformable for the both of you." It did sound extremely unconformable but I wouldn't say that to Hiashi. If I was to say that I would only be screwing myself over.

"No, that sounds nice." I say it with the slightest smile on my lips, but it didn't feel real to me. Fortunately no one seemed to notice it. They couldn't tell that I wasn't alright with this at all. I had thought when he was offering this to me and I was forced to take the offer I would get my own room at the very least, but now I had to share a room and get married to a complete stranger in a month.

"Are you sure," Neji asked speaking up for the first time during this dinner.

"It's completely fine," I tell him widening my smile.

"Well that sounds great," Hiashi says sounding happy that I was agreeing to this.

"Hinata why don't you clean up everything," Hiashi says turning to Hinata now that everything he wanted to get out of this dinner is over with.

"Yes father," Hinata says shyly as she quickly gets up and starts to clean up the dishes.

"Would you like some help," I offer feeling bad that she has to clean up everything.

"Hinata can handle it on her own. Besides you need to get yourself settled in and get ready for the ceremony tomorrow."

"Do you think I'll have time to train before the ceremony? I normally train with Sasuke on the weekends and we had made plans to meet up with each other." I wanted to tell him about this. I wanted to tell someone who would be out of this situation and might understand my anger at this current arrangement. If I had maybe of known Neji before this it might not have bothered me so much but I didn't know Neji. I also wouldn't have mind so much if I had been told about this before hand and Hiashi hadn't of played this whole ordeal off as something it wasn't. I detest the clan as it was because of the way it reminded me of my own clan, but this had made everything even worse. I was learning to hate it even more than my own clan.

"No, you need to get ready for the ceremony in the morning and then by noon the ceremony will begin. After the ceremony we have a feast."

"And when are we planning to tell everyone about the wedding? It is normally announced to everyone a month before the wedding date and two weeks before the wedding the gathering of the families and friends are supposed to come for the engagement party." Personally I didn't care about the formalities of the whole ordeal. I didn't want to get married off when I'm only thirteen. I'm a whole year younger than the person I'm getting married off to and yet I still have to play as if I'm completely happy and ok with getting married to a stranger a year older than me.

"It has all been arranged. Tomorrow the letters of invitations will be mailed off to both the clans and your team mates along with your sensei."

"Has one been mailed off to Sasuke, Shikamaru, or Naruto?" I ask naming the only three people who I really care about coming to this stupid thing.

"No, would you like them to get a letter?"

"Yes, to the wedding and the engagement party please."

"I will make the letters myself and have them delivered tomorrow."

"Thank you," I say bowing my head because I was still sitting down.

"Now you two should head off to bed."

"If you don't mind I would like to take a shower before I go to bed," I ask as I stand up from the dinner table.

"Feel free. Neji show her to your room and unpack her belongings while she is in the shower."

"I can unpack my own things. That isn't necessary." I say panicking inside because I would rather unpack my own stuff and not have a stranger touch my under garments.

"It's fine," Neji says as he turns and starts to head upstairs. I follow behind him without a word up to his room.

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Why did you say yes," he demanded the moment the door was closed behind him and we were alone in his room.

"I didn't want to." I say keeping my voice down, but showing my anger. I was matching his anger with my own and while we both glared at each other it was our voices that we were using as weapons.

"They why did you? I don't want you in my room and I don't want you as my bride."

"And you think I want to get married to a stranger. I don't want to share a room with you, but I know if I don't then I'll only get myself into deeper trouble then I already am in. I didn't even want to come to live here, but I was forced by the head of my clan."

"You should have said no."

"We both know that once given an order by the head house or the Elder of our clan we can't because we always, always pay a cost for doing so."

"Just go take a shower. I'll unpack your stuff." He turns his back to me and walks over to his dresser. I decide to do as he said and grab a change of clothes to take with me to the shower.

Neji never bothered to tell me where the showers were located so I was left on my own to find them. I was scared to open any of the doors in case they led to someone's room.

"Hiroko are you lost," I hear Hinata's sweet voice come from behind me and it causes me to turn to look at her.

"Yes, Neji forgot to tell me where the bathroom is."

"It's this one," she says pointing to the door next to her.

"Thank you," I say bowing to her before heading to the shower.

I only took a quick five minute shower because I just wanted to get everything through with. I wanted to be back on the training grounds trying to get stronger. I wanted to be stronger than anyone in the clan, to show my clan and every other clan out there that the head of the family is not the strongest branch of the family. I couldn't do that with everything now going on and the faster I got through this the faster I could get back out on the training ground training.

Once I was done with my shower I dried myself off and got changed into my PJs for the night. I was reluctant to go back to Neji's and my bedroom. If I go back I have to go back to Neji and his new found hate towards me. He was blaming me for our new situation when I'm the one being forced into this right alongside him. I don't want this, just like how he doesn't want this either.

"The three bottom shelves are yours the top three are mine. I also put your picture on the bed side desk."

"Thank you," I say bowing my head.

"You don't have to keep the act up," he tells me as he throws a pillow onto the floor and grabbed one of the two blankets onto the ground alongside it.

"I can at least show gratitude when you're doing this though you don't want to," I say as I walk next to him and gently take the blanket from him.

"I'll take the floor. You take the bed."

"I'm not going to force you to sleep on the floor."

"I don't mind."

"Hiroko I forgot to tell you that your dressers will be here at eight thirty for you." Hiashi says opening the door to see Neji and me both gripping the blanket.

"Am I interrupting something," he asks looking back and forth between the two of us.

"No, I was just getting done telling Hiroko that I would be sleeping on the floor," Neji says turning to look at Hiashi.

"The propose behind you two sharing a room is so the two of you can share a bed and get closer to each other before the wedding," Hiashi says looking at both of us as if we should have known this sooner.

_Of course_ I think to myself.

"I understand," Neji says bowing while he still held onto the blanket.

"Goodnight you two," Hiashi says as he closes the door behind himself and walks away.

"Can anything else go wrong today," I sigh to myself as I let go of the blanket and grab the pillow off the floor.

"Let's just try to get through this," he says as he puts the blanket back on the bed.

"Well once we get married we don't have to share a bed or a room together," I tell him as I slip under the covers and move to the farthest end of the bed.

"We could live in separate houses if we wanted to."

"Do you think our clan leaders would allow that?" I ask him as he slips into the bed with me but stays on the opposite side of the bed.

"It's hard to say," he tells me with his back turned to me.

"There should be an age limit for marriages like this or let the kids at least get a say on the matter," I grumble to myself before going to sleep in bed with a complete stranger.


	2. Preparations Part 1

"Hiroko," I hear someone call bringing me slowly out of my dreamless sleep.

"Hiroko," the person calls again and waking me up. I slowly open my eyes and see a wall of strong flesh. Out of instinct I pull away, raise my hand and slap the person across the face as I scream at the top of my lungs. It was a panic reaction that comes so naturally when I don't have a weapon and I just wake up.

"Hiroko are you alright?"

"Hiroko what's wrong?" Hiashi was the one that asked first as he rushed into Neji and my room as Hinata rushed in behind him.

"I'm so sorry," I say feeling extremely bad as I look at Neji's red cheek.

"You slapped Neji," Hiashi says looking at Neji for the first time.

"I woke up and just saw someone in bed with me and panicked. I'm not used to having someone in bed with me."

"It doesn't hurt too badly does it?" I ask looking back at Neji again with an apologetic look in my eyes.

"It fine," he says cutting me out completely as he turns his face away from me.

"It was purely a reaction. If I had known it was you I never would of slapped you, I promise." I truly meant every word I said, but I mainly didn't want Neji to be mad at me. When I came back in to the room I had thought that maybe we had found a common ground and that I had gained some ground with him. If we could learn to tolerate or even like each other than the whole situation could be easier on each other. At least that was my hope, but it looks like anything I had gained last night I lost by slapping him and I might have even lost more than I had before I came back from my shower. I now stood in the negatives with my future husband.

Even the thought of Neji being my husband seemed so weird and foreign to me. I had always figured if I was to ever end up married it would be one of my three guys. Naruto was out of the question because I see him more as a annoying little brother, but that still left Shikamaru or Sasuke and I grew up with those three guys. Now I didn't even get a say in the matter and I'm getting married before I even become a Jounin. I'm not even fifteen and that's when a matter like this is normally brought up in my clan.

"It doesn't matter," Neji says as he stands up out our bed and begins to walk to the dresser so he could get dressed.

"I'm sorry," I say looking down at the blanket as my hands began to fiddle with the edge of it. I hated having people mad at me and I felt so guilty right now. I know I should feel guilty because I slapped him, but the longer he was like this towards me the guiltier I began to feel.

"It's alright Hiroko. Neji is normally like this to most people. It's just something you need to get used to," Hiashi says as he puts an arm around my shoulders in an attempt to comfort me.

"No," I say shaking my head lightly, "Even if Neji is normally like this I should not have slapped him. The cause aside it wasn't necessary or right."

"You didn't do it on purposes, Hiroko," Hinata says boldly but then quickly sinks back. "Sorry," she apologizes.

"That doesn't make it any more right."

"Neji," I say causing him to turn and look at me. "Please forgive me for my recent actions. I will take any punishment you see fit." I bow my head deeply as I wait for the punishment that always came for something like this. In my clan if the woman even dares to raise her voice at her husband she normal received a beating or punishment for doing so. Bowing my head like this wasn't deep enough when asking for forgiveness. I had never believed that I would have to perform such an act before, but with our clans so similar I believe this to be the proper way to truly ask for my soon to be husband's forgiveness.

"I told you it doesn't matter."

But-"

"It doesn't matter," he says cutting me off.

"Thank you," I say as I get out of bed myself.

"Do you want to take the first shower," he asks acting as if the other two weren't in the room and it was only us.

"No, you go ahead and take it," I say following his lead.

"Well since everyone seems to be fine I'll leave you two alone," Hiashi says catching the drift. "Let's go Hinata," her father says and Hinata follows behind him.

"Husbands don't beat their wives in this clan and even if we did I wouldn't lay a hand on you," Neji says in that cold voice of his as he turned away from the dresser to me.

"I really am sorry Neji," I say looking up at him and meeting his light purple eyes that all Hyuuga members bear.

"It doesn't matter."

"Have they ever used it on you," I ask referring to his mark as my hand begins to go up to it, but I pull back at the last minute. I wasn't sure if it would be alright because we didn't stand on very good terms as it stood right now and I wasn't sure if he would be alright with it.

His mark was so plainly out there. Without his forehead being wrapped yet or his head band tided around his forehead you could clearly see it. During the Chunin Exams I hadn't gotten a clear look because he was so far away, but now standing only a foot and a half away from him I could see it. He had a blue X surrounded by a blue line on each side of it that curled inwards on itself. (going with the anime design because it's easier to describe)

"No," he tells me as he looks me back directly in the eyes. I nod my head.

"How much does it hurt when you get the mark?"

"You feel a stinging, almost burning sensation, throughout your whole forehead." I nod my head again.

"You should be fine judging by the way your hands were twitching yesterday and you could barely hold your chopsticks." He turns his back to me as he talked to me and began to head out of the bedroom.

"Was it that noticeable," I ask scratching the back of my head with a light laugh.

"No," he says stopping for a moment before continuing on his way.

I sigh as I lean back against the dresser. I was nervous about this ceremony. I wasn't really a Hyuuga and I never will be even with the Hyuuga caged bird mark branded on my forehead. I'm a Hashimoto and always will be. Branding me as one of them and giving me off to one of them didn't change that fact. I will never have the Byakugan, always the Mikagan. I would also always wear my black because I'm not a true Hyuuga and will probably never be considered one by the other Hyuuga members.

"I'm not a Hyuuga and I can't fool anyone otherwise."

"The shower's yours," Neji says as he dried his hair before wrapping it around his shoulders.

"Thank you," I say standing up and grabbing my clothes that I wish I could wearing today; my black long sleeved button down shirt, black pants, and of course under garments.

I head to the shower, remembering where it was from yesterday when Hinata told me. Again I took a quick shower because breakfast should be done soon after I finish my shower. I get out and towel dry myself off before getting dressed. After I get dress I decide that I should head back to the room to drop my stuff off.

In all truthfulness I didn't want to leave the shower. I wanted to hide away. I wanted to forget this all and go back to a life that I've grown so accustomed to. I liked it when I didn't have to begin to think of a wedding or becoming part of a clan that I didn't belong to. I preferred knowing what to expect day in and day out when I wasn't off on a mission. I liked the adventure of the missions that came with my life style, but when I wasn't out on a mission my life was simple. I would get up early in the morning without someone in the bed with me, get dress and eat after taking a shower, go out to train and then after training with my sensei I would go train with Sasuke normally or maybe Shikamaru if he wasn't being too lazy that day which wasn't very often. After training I might go get a late bite with any three of my guys before I head home. It was the life I like, the life I was acquainted to. It was now the life I missed. This was only my first real day so far in this life style, but I wanted my old life back. I didn't ever want it to change like this.

"Who is in this picture," Neji asks the moment I walk through the door. I look at him for a moment before I put my clothes with the rest of the dirty clothes and walk up behind him.

"It's of my mother and father with me in the middle," I tell him pointing to everyone as I say who they are.

"Where was it taken? I don't think I've ever seen this place before."

"The Mist Village I believe. They had taken me there on a C rank mission with them because it was so close to Christmas and didn't want me to have to spend it without them. It was Ok-ed by the Hokage so I tagged along."

"You actually smiled for once," he says looking closer at the picture.

"It was a time that I still did," I tell him as I looked at the goofy puffy coats that we had to wear to stay warm and the grins on our faces. We looked so happy together, it's sad that we didn't part like that.

"You should smile more often, it looks nice on you."

"Hm," I ask looking at him surprised. I had been thinking back to that day and hadn't even notice that Neji had turned around to look at me.

"I said you should smile more often." He seemed a bit irritated at me because he had to repeat himself, but I know that when he had said it the first time he must have meant well.

"Don't expect me to," I say turning my back to him and hiding a slight ghost of a smile that played with my lips. I don't know how he managed it, but he got it to show. It was probably just because no one had ever told me that I should smile more often and it meant that he did care. It was only the people that I cared about and people who cared about me that usually were able to get me to come close to a true smile.

"Shall we head downstairs for breakfast," I ask as I dottily made my way to the door. He didn't say anything to me as he past me on the way to the door. I rushed after him to catch up to him.

"I'm glad to see you two decided to come down to join us," Hiashi says as Neji and I come into the dining room.

"My apologizes, it's my fault that we are late," I say as I bow deeply to Hiashi and Hinata.

"I brought you into this family Hashimoto I don't want you to mess this up. You have to be on time for everything, even if it is something as simple as breakfast with the family you have to always be on time."

"I know and I should have been down here on time. I'm sorry." I keep my head down and don't dare to make eye contact or even lift my eyes upwards.

"Sit and have breakfast we only have a short amount of time before you're supposed to get ready for the ceremony." I nod my head as I begin to sit down.

"Yes sir."

Everyone ate in silence. There was a thickness it the air that hung there after my short lecture though I think for me it was more of the fact that my thoughts were back onto my ceremony. Hiashi seemed happy about it and look forward to it, but I wasn't. Hinata seemed to hold an apologetic look in her eyes towards me, but I couldn't read what Neji was feeling about all of this. I know that he resents me for the wedding, but I also know that Neji wouldn't wish this path on anyone. The best I could guess on how he felt is that he felt sorry for me.

The door bell rang suddenly causing the first noise in the house since everyone sat down for breakfast. In one motion everyone's heads turned towards the direction of the front door. We all had been brought to alert by a sudden sound.

"I'll get it. Hiroko go up to your room so the preparations can begin. I want you to strip down and wrap a robe around yourself."

"Yes sir," I say as I bow to excuse myself from the dining table before leaving.

When I get to my room I see a robe that wasn't there before I left now waiting for me on the bed. I sigh to myself and strip out of my clothes and slip the robe on.

"So you're the Hashimoto girl stealing MY Neji. Just so you know none of the other Hyuuga members want you. You aren't one of us and never will be." I turn around to look at the person who had been speaking. She had long stunning legs and that perfect curvy, skinny body that every girl would die to have. It was that body that no ninja could ever obtain because of all of our training. Her hair was long and silky with a perfect shine to it. Her facial features were soft and gave her a child like look to her woman body. She was really beautiful, but her attitude could not be made up for by her looks.

"I'm not stealing anyone," I say speaking in a calm voice. "I'm being forced to marry a stranger and I don't expect the Hyuuga clan to accept me. I know that I'm not a Hyuuga. I am and always will be a Hashimoto. Being married into a clan doesn't mean that I'll get the Byakugan because my eyes will forever be Mikagan." My calm manner to all of this seemed to catch her by surprise. She had thought that her words would somehow hurt me or effect me in some form, but they hadn't. I had accepted these facts before she had even showed up here.

"Yo-you did to!" she yells as she regains her strength.

"How if I never wanted this," I ask her still so calmly that it flustered her.

"He was supposed to be mine and then you showed up and are getting married to him!"

"Was this prearranged or are you delusional like Sasuke's fan girls who all think that he belongs to them simply because you want them and you have it in your head that they love you back. The saddest part is that that person wants nothing to do with you because they find you annoying and obsessive and half the time doesn't even know that you exist. If you are number one I am sorry I don't want to hurt anyone and if I could I would give him back to you because you seem to really care. If you are number two I know a really good shrink I'll recommend you to him like I have every other fan girl I've come across." The girl looked at me with such anger and hate in her eyes that seemed to grow with every passing second that she looked at my unresponsive ones. She wasn't affecting me or scaring me like she thought she would and she hated that.

"You're not as pretty as you think you are," she says flipping her hair and walking up to me.

"You're too full of yourself and I know I can't compete in look factors, but at least I can fight." I say with a smile on my face. It wasn't that smile that Neji had said I should smile more often, but one that seemed nice to any outside and burned the person that was the cause of it.

"Where do you get off acting like this? Have you seen your hair? It's so short and instead of going straight down it starts to go out almost as if you have cat ears going off on the side before your hair curves towards your neck! I bet your even hiding something behind that robe of yours!" She yells at me completely pissed off.

Before I could say a word or stop her her hand flies out rips the robe off of me.

"What is going on?" I hear Hiashi say as I turn my back to them in an attempt to cover myself from them.

"Aimi stop!" Out of all the people I expected to raise their voice in my defense I would have expected Hiashi, but it was Neji who held the commanding voice this time. I turn my head to look at the four Hyuuga's staring at each other.

"But Neji she stole you from me and look at her," Aimi says flinging her arm out towards me. "She isn't that pretty and isn't even a Hyuuga! You can't dress someone up and give them a mark and call them something they can never be. She doesn't belong here!"

"Get out Aimi," Neji says in a cold tone. I don't know what the cause of his sudden change in personality was, but I was grateful for it right now. I wouldnt dare to raise my voice at someone else, especially when I wasn't of that family. I wouldn't have kicked her out even if she continued the way she's been to me, because it's not my place.

"But Neji," Aimi cried feeling hurt by the person she claimed to haved loved, but without using the actual word.

"You should go Aimi," Hiashi says causing Aimi to look up at Hiashi in shock but knowing that she can't say anything if Hiashi orders it she bows and leaves.

"Are you alright," Neji asks as he walks up behind me.

"I'm fine," I say pulling up one of the sleeves of the robe that barely still covered any of me.

"Hiroko, I'll get someone to replace Aimi for the preparations for the ceremony," Hiashi says.

_All he really cares about is making me one of their stupid little puppets. He doesn't care about me, but that this ceremony continues on. What a great uncle in law_, I think to myself as I continue to try and get the robe on properly.

"Where did you get these scares," Neji asks for my ears only as he helped me get the robe on properly.

"If you don't mind I can get myself prepared. All I need to know is how the preparations are supposed to be made." I intentionally ignored Neji's question. I didn't want him to know about the scares because so very few actually know about them and even fewer know the reason behind them.

"You only have an hour and twenty minutes and for an hour you have to bathe and cleanse yourself and in twenty minutes you have to get dressed in the proper wear for the ceremony. Not to mention that the women have to have there make up." Hiashi really didn't like this idea, but I didn't want to have to deal with another one of Neji's fan girls or another hateful Hyuuga clan member that didn't want me here.

"Then I should head to the bathroom and start soaking," I say as I turn around with my robe finally properly put on. I walk past Hiashi leaving him stunned by my sudden change. What I'm doing is considered disrespectful and rude. Normally pulling something so disrespectful would earn me some type of punishment, but I would rather take a punishment then deal with another Aimi. Punishments were something I was used to and I can handle those better than a fan girl.


	3. Preparations Part 2

I wasn't going to put this part up until later but since Evil Cupcake asked me to i will  
>~Trisana<p>

I sigh to myself as I sink into the hot steaming water of the bath that I had just ran. This is the first time that I've relaxed since two nights ago. Nothing was really on my mind. I wasn't bothering to think about the marriage, the ceremony, or the fan girls. I was thinking absent mindedly about the justu I'm working on. Since it has to deal with my bloodline it's going to be harder to master now that I don't have access to the archives but it won't be impossible.

"When I get it I'll have to tell the boys." I smile to myself at this thought. "Maybe we can go out and celebrate like I did with Sasuke when he achieved his Sharigan and after Naruto became a Gennin. I even took Shikamaru out after he became a Chininn, though he didn't really want to, I had to convince him to. It would be nice to get all three of the guys back together since that almost never happens."

The time ticked by and finally an hour had passed by. Somewhat regrettably I stepped out of the bath and onto the cold floor with my pruned feet. Quickly I dried myself off and grabbed my robe and went back to the room. Everything was set up and ready to go for me. The makeup was set up, my kimono for this event and if Hiashi had things his way I would even have someone to get me dressed and ready for this ceremony. I wasn't allowed to do anything my way.

I walk over to the kimono and pick it up to look at it. Its main color was pale purple, to my not so much surprise, but the black birds did catch me by surprise. I had expected something other than ravens for this ceremony. A raven was a term used for my clan, so why in a Hyuuga ceremony would Hiashi use ravens. Was he trying to announce to everyone even more so that I wasn't from this clan and didn't belong here? With a sigh of great reluctance, despite the ravens on the kimono, I slip on the kimono and continue to get ready.

The only thing left for this ceremony to prepare for was now the makeup. I didn't know the first thing about makeup and while I've watched girls put makeup on before for I wasn't sure if I myself could put it on. I know that lipstick goes on my lips, mascara goes on my eyelashes, and that eyeliner goes on my eyelid; that is the vastness of my knowledge of makeup. I don't know how to put it on properly, what looks good on me, or frankly much of anything. I'm not a typical girl though, I spend most of my time outside in the woods, I don't date any one, and my nails aren't even grown out because they could get in the way of a fight so I kept them short. I haven't ever dated someone in my life, I haven't been kissed, I haven't even had a cursh once in my life, I don't even look for paternal love interests. How am I supposed to even put this makeup on if I don't know the first thing of being a real girl?

"Hi, I'm Aiko," a cheery voice says suddenly behind me and because of the sudden shock my hand goes to the mascara bottle on the desk in front of me and I throw it at the girl in shock.

"That was close," the Hyuuga girl chuckles as she catches the small bottle.

"I'm sorry if I spooked you I just thought I should introduce myself since I'm going to be doing your makeup for the ceremony." Again the girl seemed happy and carefree, but I had almost hit her in the eye with a small bottle of mascara. It didn't seem to bother her any and she caught it like she knew what she was doing, but she had no chakara.

"Hiroko Hashimoto," I say analyzing her carefully. I didn't trust her. Something about this girl seemed off.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm standing in for Aimi after that little stunt from earlier today."

"You know Aimi," I say as I turn my back to her and sit back in the chair I had been sitting in before she showed up.

"Yeah I'm her older sister."

"You two look nothing alike," I say trying to tell her that I don't buy what she's feeding me.

"We get that a lot actually and it's funny because use Hyuuga's always look so alike," she says laughing and scratching the back of her head.

"Well, shall we begin?" She asks changing the subject.

"Sure," I say and let her begin. Aiko was gentle throughout the whole process. We didn't speak much to each other, but she told me when to open my eyes, when to part my lips and things of that such. She complemented me on how the kimono looked on me. She likes the contrast, but she said that it made my skin look paler.

"Well-la, it is done." I open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror. My eyes were done in what she calls a pale smoky eyes effect. It made my eyes stand out while not making me look any paler. She added a slight blush to my cheeks, again so I didn't look so pale, and also a pale red shad of lipstick. Over all I liked the effect that she gave me. I still looked like myself, but I looked a bit different. It was amazing the way makeup could change the general look of a person.

"What do you think?" Her voice held that happy, carefree, bubbly sound to it as she asked the question.

"I like it," I say standing up and walking out of the room. It may have been rude of me to just leave without saying much but I could tell that it was about time to go. For some reason the ceremony itself did not include the introduction speach that took up most of the time. With the speech the ceremony started at 10:15 which gave me fifteen minutes to get to the main quart yard in the Hyuuga compound where the ceremony was being held.

Aiko and I arrive to the ceremony right on time. As I make my way to the center stage Aiko takes a seat next to Aimi. It was time for the show to begin and Hiashi was wearing a smile on his face while the rest of the crowed showed either pity or hate. Hiashi was the only one happy about this, but I can't figure out why. He has always liked me for as far back as I can remember. My memory only started when I was five and even then we had known each other, so did he consider me as his own daughter though until yesterday we hadn't really talked or seen each other since I was seven. Could he really just be happy that I'm getting married to Neji and becoming a Hyuuga, though I will never really be a Hyuuga?

"We come here today with a one of many firsts to come. Our first begins with Hiroko Hashimoto being given the gift of a Hyuuga; the mark of a caged bird. The next first will be a member of a family that is not of our blood becoming a Hyuuga and marring a Hyuuga. While she is not of Hyuuga blood she has the heart of a Hyuuga in her." Hiashi continued to talk on about firsts and how this is a tradition of generations. Somewhere around the middle I was ready to kill myself. I was jealous of those that could fall asleep without getting in trouble but the spot light was on me and if I did something like that this event then it would not only look bad on me but on my clan, Hiashi, and Neji. I couldn't do that too them, no matter how much I hate my clan, no matter how irritated and pissed off I am at Hiashi for making me go through with this, and with Neji he hasn't done anything to make me hate him or be spiteful. Neji has been nothing but good to me over all, sure on the first night we had a rough start but we were both pissed and caught off guard by this but after wards he's been a good guy. Neji wouldn't deserve disrespect like that, and it's that thought that kept me going through it all.

"Hiroko, please take a seat." I blink for a moment at the sudden words towards me. I hadn't been paying complete attention to the lecture because, like everyone else, I wanted this to just end and to move on with the day.

I do as I'm told and take a seat in the white chair provided for me next to the little table that held the needle gun with the ink for the mark. It was a special type of ink with some chakra interlaced into it so that the head family could control the lower branches of the Hyuuga, according to the speech but not using those exact words. It was something that was passed down from generation to generation of the main house.

I stare straight forward not looking at what was being done around me while Hiashi picked up the needle gun and brought it up to my forehead. In the instant the needle touched my forehead a felt a splitting pain surge throughout my forehead. The pain that Neji had told me of was nothing compared to what it really amounted to. A stinging, almost burning sensation would have been nice if it was only that that I felt, but there was that splitting sensation that makes my head feel as if it's being ripped apart. I had had migraines before, once a few months ago, but this was much worse than that, it can't even be compared in the greatness of pain. Every vibration that the needle made as it makes its way across my scull made the already sensitive skin even more sensitive. I found myself becoming afraid of whether my head might actually split in the center because of the pain. It took everything I have just to not start crying from the pain and keeping that blank face that was required in this moment as a way of distracting me from the pain.

"Hiroko Hyuuga, you may stand," Hiashi says now done with branding me. Looking out at the audience now I could barely make out anything. Everything was so blurry and I feel like I might pass out at any moment now, but somehow I manage to stand up and give the audience a light smile as I begin to make my exit.

_I have to get up to the room before I pass out! No one can see me in a weak state!_ I repeat these two sentences over and over again in my head as I calmly make my way through the two groups of chairs nicely lined up in rows.

"Hiroko," Hinata says quietly as she stands up, but I just turn my head and give her a small sweet smile.

"I'm fine," I say softly before turning and continuing on. I couldn't show weakness and if I accepted help from her than I would be showing weakness. I had to come off strong in front of these people, more so than most because I'm an outsider.

I make my way back to the house seeming as if everything is fine until I open the door to the house. My whole body collapse on the doorframe as I begin to open it. Panting heavily I close my eyes for a second and take a deep breath before pushing myself off of the door frame and continuing towards the stairs.

"You want help," I hear Neji say sounding as if he didn't care particularly but was still offering.

"I'm fine," I tell him making my way up the stairs and using the railing as my support to get up the stairs that I couldn't even see. It was a slow process that I made one step at a time while trying to blink away the blurs in my vision.

_Almost there_, I think as I miss a step and begin to fall backwards. My hand on the railing had slipped with me and after only a second of falling a pair of strong arms catch me and steady my body. I turn my head to see three blurred versions of the same face. All faces blank of expression except the eyes that gave away his concern.

"Thank you," I say to Neji with a light real smile. It was a smile that he may not be able to notice is really there.

"I'll help you to the bedroom," he says wrapping an arm around my waist so I can use him as a crutch as we both make the slow process up the stairs together. The process was long and with me not really being able to see Neji was also forced to guide me all the way up the stairs and into the bedroom.

Before Neji even let's go of me or I get to the bed I pass out. The pain had finally gotten to me as we enter the room, but I made it to my destination; the bedroom. I hadn't made it to my final goal of no one seeing me in such a weak state, but without him I wouldn't have been able to make it up the stairs or into our room. So I saw it as an OK that he saw me like this and didn't care all too much in this case.

"Mhm," I say as slowly I'm brought back to the world of the awake. From what I can see it was no longer mid day and the sun has set around me, but the light in the room was on.

"You've finally woke up. I was about to wake you myself." I turn my head to look where the voice was coming from to see Neji sitting next to our bedside with his knees pulled up and his elbows resting on them.

"What time is it?" I ask rubbing my eye and sitting up.

"Half hour before eight." He spoke so calmly that it took a moment for me to remember that there is supposed to be a feast after the ceremony; a feast that I had completely forgotten about.

"The feast!" I panic as I shoot out of the bed and begin to head to the door. "Hiashi is going to kill me!"

"The feast isn't until another half hour," Neji tells me calmly and I stop abruptly.

"The feast is right after the ceremony, that's what Hiashi told me." I was confused, wasn't the feast directly after the ceremony from the way Hiashi had put it that's what it sounded like. Why would it be held at eight when the ceremony ended around one in the afternoon?

"It's held at eight because everyone always passes out after being marked."

"So I still have time," I ask stating the obvious.

"Yes," Neji says and I relax immediately. I walk back to the bed and sit down beside Neji.

"Did anyone notice just how unsteady I was when I made my way back to the house?" It was a sudden hesitant question that came out of nowhere, but I had to know. Hinata had offered to help me and at that moment I feared that my weakness was obvious. I didn't want them to link Neji with me if I came off weak. I couldn't drag the hard work Neji's done through the mud because I couldn't come across strong enough. It would hurt my pride if I was weak, but I would never drag someone else down with me because of my mistakes and flaws are my own and only my own.

"No, most were shocked on how strong you still seemed," he says not bothering to turn and look at me. I just nod my head never bothering to turn and look at him either.

"I'm sorry," I say suddenly as I stand up and begin to leave the room. "I couldn't be strong and in the end I had to depend on you and I'm sorry for any shame I've brought upon you." I leave the room with what I've been feeling inside from the moment that fan girl Aimi opened her mouth earlier today and the kimono I needed to wear for the next event. I'm not a Hyuuga and in most clans it's shameful to not marry inside your own clan. I know I could never be the perfect wife as long as I'm a ninja as well. There would never be a way for me to cook every night with my missions, or to be able to be the good little house wife I'm supposed to be. We had both silently agreed that we wouldn't share a bed or room and maybe not even a house, but for my clan it's disgraceful on both the husband and the wife for the wife to not be a good house wife.

I make my way to the bathroom and take a quick shower with the feeling of guilt in my stomach. All I, as a non Hyuuga, can do for Neji is bring him shame. Neji's whole life he has worked for the honor he just recently achieved. Why is Hiashi doing this to not only me but Neji? Didn't Neji deserve a wife that could be the perfect house wife, who could be there for him when he needed, was a real Hyuuga, a person that wouldn't just bring shame to him? I was the girl given away by her clan to get married off to a stranger because she was never wanted by own flesh and blood. How could someone marry a person that disgraceful?

I step out of the shower and blow dry my hair after drying off. With the short amount of time that I had I couldn't let my hair dry on it's on and with the amount of time that we have Neji and I can still get to the feast on time. Once my hair was dried I changed into the kimono and head off to the room to get Neji.

The halls were oddly empty right now and with not the slightest bit of noise I was wondering where the others are. I know that I can just ask Neji once I see him though so I don't bother with the thought too much because they could of have just left to the feast early for all I knew. In silence I continue my way to the bedroom and open the door to the bedroom without knocking.

"Shut the door!" Neji shouts as I open the door wide open.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered as I slam the door shut blushing deep cherry red and shocked. I had opened the door without thinking about Neji possibly getting dressed for the feast as well and because of this thoughtlessness I had walked in on Neji standing in the middle of the room only in his boxers. I've seen people in skimpier clothes before during missions as they lay before me almost dead, but at the time I had been paying more attention to the fact they were almost dead and that I needed to heal them then I had their clothes. There lack of clothes had never been holding my attention, but seeing Neji half naked as he stood in our room only in his boxers got to me. He was toned all around. He didn't have any extremely defined abs or muscles in his arms, but I liked that. He didn't need those over done muscles to be fit and good looking because he looked great without that. It fit his settle personality. Neji never draws unnecessary attention to himself and with him being a Hyuuga and their gentle fist he didn't need the unusually large muscles.

_I can't believe I just walked in like that, but I have to admit he looked really, really good. No I can't think that!_ The image of him standing in his boxers only caused me to blush harder, but I couldn't get it out of my head. I never really thought of guys and how they look half naked, but seeing Neji like that made me feel like the little school girl I still am at heart. He looked so fine and it was a thought and image I'm not allowed or supposed to be seeing, despite me getting married to him in a month.

"You can come in," Neji says after a bit and I walk in with my head down trying to hide the blush from him.

"I'm sorry. I should have knocked before I entered." I kept my head down as I spoke not daring to look up until instructed that it's OK to lift my head.

"From now on we'll both knock before ever entering." Neji was now dressed in a light purple male kimono that matched my light purple kimono.

"Yes sir," I say purely out of habit, but by the way I can see Neji stiffen slightly I can tell that it wasn't the right response for him. From what I've learned of him he doesn't like when I start to show the habits that have been beaten into me over years.

"I'm sorry it slipped!" I panicked and my voice rose a little which caused my whole body to stiffen and prepare for anything that may happen next, but what I expected never came. I wasn't yelled at or dealt a punishment.

"You don't need to use such formalities. I'm not mad." He spoke in a mono tone, but his voice was soft towards me.

"But, you are irritated because that yes sir slipped," I say still keeping my head down.

"I don't want you to treat me like the others. I'm not going to hit you and I'm not in charge of you. You have no reason to act like that towards me." He sounded in different about the matter, but I could tell that he truly meant it. Neji didn't want me to treat him how I did most men that I encounter or any of my superiors. Neji wanted me to treat him more like my friends because for me there was no in between, you are someone that I treat like a superior or a friend. It's the only two ways I know how to treat someone.

"I won't do it again," I say not daring to lift my head or eyes yet.

"You still are," he tells me and I bow deeper before bringing my head up.

"Is this better," I ask softly and honestly wanting to know. I don't want to anger him but I've always been taught to never contradict what your husband or a superior tells you. To treat a male that is going to be my husband as a friend is unheard of in my clan. Your husband is allowed to do whatever he wants whenever he wants if you do something you're not supposed to or to annoy him, which is why I've dreaded the day I get married, unless it's one of my guys because I know they would never do that to me and I know them so well that I can be comfortable around them.

I stood with my back straight looking at him. I didn't say a word and there wasn't an expression on my face. Neither one of us spoke as we looked at each other. He wore the blank look as he did, but normally I didn't wear the same blank look as he did. I didn't know what to do though and I didn't know how he wanted me to do it.

"We need to head to the feast," Neji says suddenly and I nod my head in response.

Together side by side we walk out of the house. Neither one of us spoke; it seemed to always work this way. I never felt the need to fill the silence, but with Neji a part of me wanted to get him to open up to me a bit. I've gotten him to crack just a bit when he asked about the photo, but other than that the hard shell around him has stayed in place.

Music filled my ears and grew louder as we approached the feast and the dark of the night slowly dissipated and became full of life. I could hear people laughing and enjoying themselves. It was the opposite of what I was feeling. I was nervous and for the first time in a very long time I found myself a bit scared. Of course I didn't show that I was scared as I walked beside Neji. I would never allow myself to show fear or weakness like that.

"Let me take your arm," Neji says in a low hushed voice causing me to stop walking so I could turn and face him. "This is our first time going out as a couple in front of everyone; we need to show that we are happily together."

"Alright," I say nodding my head and offering my arm to him. He wraps his arm in mine and begins to take the lead and I allow him. In most relationships the man is supposed to hold the lead and with him leading I could allow myself to relax a bit. Knowing that Neji is by my side and wasn't planning on leaving me tonight on my own helped relax me. He was there for me and understood what I was going through because we're in this together.

We turn the corner and instantly the full effect took place. I can see a large group of people dancing in colorful assorts of kimonos. Everyone was laughing and dancing to the beat of the song as girls were twirled by guys and those not dancing were laughing and eating. The atmosphere was so lively that I found myself beginning to become a bit happier.

While scanning the area I saw three things stick out to me in the crowed. The first thing that caught my attention was a blonde boy wearing an orange male kimono. Standing directly next to the blonde boy was a raven black haired boy covered in girls drooling over him and next to him was a bored looking black haired boy who had his hair pulled up into a ponytail. They didn't look like they belonged here at all, but seeing the blonde hair reassured me that I would enjoy the rest of tonight.

"Hiroko-kun," Naruto yells as he runs up to me and tackles me into a hug.

"Hey Naruto," I say chuckling lightly as I hug him back.

"Nice party Hiroko," Shikamaru says lazily as he walks up towards me with Sasuke right behind him.

"Thank you but it's not really mine." I tell him as I stand back up and dust myself off.

"Sorry about not showing up to practice today I wasn't expecting everything that's happened today," I say bowing to Sasuke.

"It's fine," he says in that detached way of his when we are in public or other people are around.

"So what's with all of this anyway Hiroko-kun?" Naruto asks looking around with a confused look on his face. "You're not secretly a Hyuuga or anything right,"

"No, I'm still a Hashimoto," I say moving in a bit closer to Neji so that he could link our arms again, but instead he puts his arm around my waste. Something about the feel of his arm being linked with mine or wrapped around my waste seemed to ease me a bit.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were getting married yesterday?" It was Sasuke who brought up the question that I wanted to avoid. I knew it would come up some time tonight, but I was hoping that I could avoid it as long as possible. Just leave it up to Sasuke though to bring up the one subject that I didn't want to talk about.

"Oh don't worry about someone that you can't have Sasuke. You should be worrying about someone that is willing to give themselves to you." It was a fan girl that spoke up. She was clinging on to Sasuke's arm and it didn't look like she planned on leaving any time soon.

"Excuse me, but what is your name," I ask politely looking at the black haired, skinny girl.

"Haruto," she says looking at me a bit frightened. I was smiling politely and everything about me seemed friendly on the surface, except to the person this was directed to. To Haruto I seem frightening and my smile was the threat. She could see the murderous meaning behind it, but no one else could because the threat wasn't directed to them.

"Haruto just as a girl to girl I think you should know quite a few things about Sasuke before you devote yourself completely to him. For starters it doesn't matter whether you date him or not he will always hate you because secretly he's more interested in guys than girls. Sasuke only find girls fun in the bed, which no matter how many times you have sex with him he will never be completely satisfied. He's just that horny and also he lacks down there," I say whispering the last part so she understood what I meant.

"H-How do you know?" she asks scared to find out how and a bit disturbed by the information.

"Oh, isn't obvious?" My voice and my whole face seemed to be in sink as I innocently ask the question and continue on. "I'm Sauke's play toy. He finds fan girls too annoying and since we've been friends for so long he just asked me to be his new play toy." At this point I make my voice a little more care free than I began with. "It's usually three to four times a week, but I was here so I wasn't able to satisfy him, but I'll just make up for it tonight. So you honestly didn't know about it? I had thought everyone knew by the way he treats me different then everyone else. Hm, I guess I was wrong." I have freaked the girl out so much and my dazzling smile scared her even more than my polite one.

"I- I think I should go Sasuke-kun," the fan girl says backing away with all of his other fan girls.

"You're having sex with Sasuke Hiroko-kun!" Naruto shouts at the top of his lungs and disturbs the people around us. Everyone that had been able to hear Naruto's voice stopped what they were doing to turn and look at our group.

"What are you going on about now Naruto," I ask looking completely lost and confused at what he was saying.

"You just said-"

"I didn't say anything Naruto. I think you need to get your ears checked because you're hearing things again." I played the role extremely well as I played completely at a loss at what he was saying and everyone honestly believed Naruto was insane. For most people that wasn't to far off from what they already believed.

"One of these days everything you say is going to come back to you. You just left another group of girl thinking you're my slut again," Sasuke says coldly and I just shrug my shoulders.

"I don't care. They leave you alone which means they leave me alone." Naruto looked back between Sasuke and me in confusion. Our share of words seemed to leave him in even more confusion than he was before.

"What are you two talking about?" Naruto had been pushed to his point of confusion. He had grown so confused that he became frustrated because he couldn't understand what was going on.

"It's something that I do to almost all of Sasuke's fan girls to get them to leave us alone. I basically lie to all of them and threaten them with a smile." I look at Naruto with a blank expression. I was sure that I had explained this once before and he had seen this before. I know that Shikamaru has seen it before and that Sasuke had seen this done countless times. Even when Shikamaru saw me act like that he knew right away that I was only acting.

"So, none of that was real?" Naruto says slowly but surely understanding that it wasn't real.

"Naruto, do I really seem like the type of girl to do something like that? And to tell the truth I don't know the first thing about how Sasuke is in bed or if he does lack down there. I only say that to get fan girls to leave him alone because they annoy me."

"Hey, Hiroko-kun I just need to ask but, what is he doing with his arm around you?" Naruto asks whispering in my ear so that only I could hear.

"I'm getting married to Neji, Naruto." I was beginning to question just how much brains he really had. I always knew that he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but the invites were delivered today to all of them.

"I thought that was a joke!" I sigh at Nauto's outburst as I shake my head lightly.

"Why would Hiroko joke about getting married," Sasuke asks just as lost on Naruto's intelligent as I am.

"Well she said that she wouldn't ever get married until she became an ANBU if she ever does get married."

"She caught us all by surprise," Shikamaru says looking at me.

"We were forced into it." This was the first time that Neji spoke up tonight. Throughout the whole thing so far he hasn't spoken once. This seemed to catch everyone by surprise, but only Naruto showed his shock.

"This is the party that the Hyuuga's hold after marking someone, isn't it Hiroko," Shikamaru says looking at me in shock. He was the first to catch onto the true meaning behind this whole thing. It doesn't surprise me that he figured it out; Shikamaru is smarter than the others.

"When were you planning on telling us," Sasuke says looking at me with a glare. I had upset him because I never bothered to tell him that I was marked as a Hyuuga now.

"Never," I say boldly. My reply only pissed Sasuke off and Naruto was becoming a bit scared by the intensity of Sasuke's glare and anger directed to me.

"Come on Sauke, we know Hiroko-kun she wouldn't do anything without a good reason behind it." Naruto pleaded with Sasuke as he pulled on his arm slightly.

"Isn't that right Hiroko-kun?"

"Not always Naruto," I say not releasing the hold Sasuke's and my eyes held. I wasn't afraid of Sasuke, even if he is glaring at me, and Sasuke knew it as he met my cold blank eyes.

"Hiroko, you aren't helping," Shikamaru says looking at the depth of Sasuke's glare.

"I will always be a Hashimoto, even after being marked and even after Neji and I get married. I don't want this and neither does Neji, but it's something that we have to put up with. The reason I didn't plan on telling you is because I know how pissed off you would be if you found out I was forced into all of this. I saw it better to keep the marking from all of you other than just you, Sasuke." My voice was calm and even. I was getting the point across and slowly dismissing Sasuke anger enough to have Naruto release him.

"I should kill Hiashi," Sauke mumbles under his breath.

"It was agreed to long ago by my parents," I say looking at the scowl on his face that had depends from its usual self.

"They're lucky they're already dead," Sasuke says and I just divert my eyes to the ground.

"I wish they weren't," I sigh under my breath.

"We should get you something to eat," Neji says pulling my attention away from the ground.

"That would be nice," I say looking up at Neji.

"We'll be back guys," I say to the others before Neji leads me to the other side of the quart yard where the food was located.

"What happened between you and your parents the day they died," Neji asks once we were away from the group. I press my lips together as I walked beside him with his arm around my waist. I hadn't told anyone about what happened, not even Naruto, Sasuke, or Shikamaru. Neji is going to be my husband soon, but I still didn't know him every well. All I've truly learned about him is that while he's cold to most he is an extremely nice guy and that he can ease my worry or fear.

"The morning of the Chuninn exams," I begin a bit slowly because I was still somewhat unsure about this, "my mother and father got in a fight. In my clan if a woman ever speaks up it results in a beating and my father raised his hand against my mother. I jumped in to protect her from the beating as I myself raised my voice at my father. I had told him that no real man or lover would ever hurt their love. I had also called him a few other things. While I had been protecting my mother she was disappointed and extremely upset with me because I wasn't acting as a lady is supposed to act in my clan. For a woman to speak up against a man in my clan it disgraces the family. Both my parents told me that they wish they had another child, one that acted as a woman should."

"Your clan is more twisted than mine," Neji says now that we had made it to the other side of the yard.

"In some way I guess you could say that," I say in a light tone as to hide the hollow sadness I was feeling inside.

"The lashes on your back are beatings you received from your clan," Neji says putting the puzzle pieces that I had given him piece together to start seeing the full image of the puzzle. He was still missing a few pieces but he was able to see the general finished product from what was given to him.

"The ones on my back are from the elder," I tell him not allowing him to know the true extent of my beatings.

"There's still more," he says catching on quicker than I wish he did. Neji is the genius though so it's to be expected.

I nod my head.

"Can we change the subject for the mean time, the others don't know the full extent to it all and only Sasuke knows about the scares." Neji didn't reply, but he didn't bring it up again.

"Thank you," I say quietly as we began to grab a bite to eat before heading back to the boys.

While Neji and I had been gone the guys had managed to find a table for all of use to sit at. The guys seemed to be a bit uncomfortable for some reason. Looking at them you couldn't really tell why because Sasuke had calmed down since I've left, but if you take a closer look you could tell that it was because Hiashi was talking to them.

"Oh, there you two are! I went looking for you Neji and Hiroko, but your friends had said that you went to go get something to eat."

"Yes, is there something you need," I ask politely as I set down my small plate of food and sat down with Neji beside me.

"No, I just wanted to make sure you were alright and got here on time. You were asleep when I left so I wasn't sure you were ok."

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. And yes Neji and I got here fine and perfectly on time."

"Neji didn't leave your side after you fell asleep Hiroko, he seemed more worried than anyone, but the most confident that you were fine as well." Hiashi talked lightly about the manner but there was that happiness about him again. Out of everyone that is in this Hiashi is the happiest about this. Hiashi is the one that wants this for the two of us, but I can't figure out what is about this arrangement that makes him like this. Two strangers being forces into a marriage, is that really something to be happy about?

"Neji is a very kind person," I say turning to look at him with an honest true smile. Neji is a really good guy, I know that, but for him to truly wait by the bed for me throughout all of that time I hadn't expected. I had thought that maybe he was just waiting a bit before waking me for the feast that we both had to attended. Not only had he waited for me he was also concerned about me, but he somehow knew that I would be alright. He was confident about what I could do.

Neji looked at me a bit shocked by the sudden smile I gave him, but he quickly discarded his shock. Looking at him I wonder what he thought about the smile. It's been so long since I smiled though so holding it for much longer than three seconds is difficult to do and I have to drop the smile and turn back to Hiashi.

"Neji is a very good boy isn't he?"

"Yes, Neji is a very good person." I wouldn't call Neji a boy, especially with Neji being a year older than me, but I can say he is a good person.

"Well I will leave you all alone. Oh I do hope you and Neji take part in the dancing." Hiashi left after he had done what he set out to do, but I just brushed it off. I was determined to enjoy myself tonight.

"You skipped lunch again, didn't you," Sasuke says as he sees me begin to eat and how it's slightly bigger than the amount I normally eat for dinner, which is very small compared to how much most people eat.

"I ate most of breakfast," I tell him in my defense.

"But you never eat enough when you do eat three meals." He had a good point and I couldn't argue with that so I don't even bother to argue with that point.

"The doctors you took me to because you were afraid of how little I eat say that as long as I eat my meals I should be fine."

"You don't eat your three meals is the problem." Suddenly Sasuke turns his attention away from me and onto Neji. "You better take care of her and make sure she eats properly." There was a threat behind Sasuke's words. He wanted to make it clear that if he didn't take care of me then he would make sure that Neji regretted it.

"Hiroko is capable of taking care of herself," Neji says not letting the threat faze him at all

_To Be Continued_

_AN_: I know how lazy it is to leave it like this but it's already almost fourteen pages and there is still more of the feast to do so I'm stopping it like this for now. Sorry!


	4. Feast

Recap: Hiroko got her marking and went to the feast with Neji. Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru are there as well. Hiroko told Neji about the beatings that her clan gives her and that she was in a fight with her parents the day they died. I had left off with Sasuke telling Neji that he needed to make sure that Hiroko took care of her eating habits and Neji said that Hiroko can take care of herself. OK I think that's all

An eerie silence fell over our small table. Sasuke and Neji had such intensity between them and I couldn't help but feel as if it's my fault all of this happened. I know that Sasuke only means the best when he gets on me about my eating habits, but he didn't need to worry so much because I still eat and I'm not starving myself. If he hadn't of gone after Neji about making sure that I eat properly this wouldn't be an issue right now and everything could be light and enjoyable.

"Please, not tonight. I just want to enjoy myself tonight. A lot has happened today and I just want a bit of time to enjoy myself." Sasuke and Neji turn to look at me. The desperation wasn't shown on my face or in my voice but was in my words. I don't ask anything of my friends and for me to beg them to not do something it seemed to draw something from the group. It brought the tension out of the air almost immediately as the two boys relaxed and dropped the matter.

"Thank you," I say before looking down at my plate of food with softened eyes. While Neji and Sasuke may fight silently tonight so far has been good. I haven't spent a day with all three of my guys in a long time and slowly I found myself really liking Neji. I still wouldn't marry him on my own accord, but he was a good guy, I liked him. Neji in just a short amount of time has become the newest of my guys, making it a total of four really good guys.

"Hey Hiroko we should go dance!" Naruto shoots out of his seat, interrupting the light chatter that began in our small group.

"I don't really dance Naruto," I say looking up at him.

"Oh, come on I've seen you dance before," he says grabbing my hand and dragging me onto the dance floor.

I look around myself embarrassed as I stood awkwardly surrounded by people enjoying themselves as they danced. They weren't afraid of what people might think or say about the way they dance. I envy people like that, people like Naruto who is dancing in their own crazy way as they laugh and enjoy themselves. Naruto didn't even dance very well yet he could care less.

_I'm going to enjoy myself and for once I won't care._ I take a deep breath and release it as I listen to the tempo of the song. It was a fast paced song, but it didn't take long before I picked it up and became lost in the rhythm of the song. The songs flowed through my body as I lost myself and cut loose. For once in my life I wouldn't care what everyone thought of me. I wouldn't care if they hated the way I dance or the way I showed myself. I would enjoy myself tonight because tonight I don't care what others think of me. And I did enjoy myself as I danced freely. I felt a feeling of relief on my shoulders because for once I didn't have to worry about how the elders would punish me for dancing freely. It was such a great feeling that I would never be able to describe it to someone.

The rhythm and beat to the music suddenly slowed down and everyone began to partner up. Desperately I look around for a way out, but all the exits I see suddenly closed up. I was trapped and I didn't have anyone to dance with.

A sudden tap on my shoulder caused me to whip around and see Neji standing in front of me. He held his hand out in offering towards me.

"Can I have this dance?" He asked it so formally that I almost smiled. He had come to my rescue and was extremely polite as he asked to dance with me. Being polite back I nod my head and place my hand in his doing a slight curtsy.

In response to my curtsy he took my hand in his and pulled me in towards him. He then places his hand on my hip and I place my free hand lightly on his shoulder. Neji instantly took the lead as I followed suit. He seemed as if he knew the foot movement and how to stay in rhythm of the music, but he didn't seem to be all that experienced in this type of dancing. For some reason this was reassuring to me. It told me two things about Neji.

didn't go around dancing with a bunch of girls, something I had figured but this confirmed it.

did take lessons at one point in time on ballroom dancing.

It's odd to think of a little Neji trying to learn how to ballroom dance. I don't know if it's mandatory for all males and females to know how to ballroom dance by the age of seven like it is in my clan, but Neji had taken lessons at one point of time.

As the song continued about half way through the song I began to rest my head on his chest. It was strong and firm just like I thought it would be. I knew after seeing him at the Chuninn Exams that he was strong, but laying my head on his chest was more comforting then I'd like to admit. He brought me a sense of comfort that caused my whole body to relax to a point that my eyes fluttered close slowly.

"Hiroko," Neji says jolting me to alert.

"Uh, sorry," I say pulling away and noticing that the beat had picked up again. I had got so caught up in the feeling of relaxing beside Neji that I hadn't even realized that the song had ended.

"I think I'm going to sit down for a bit," I tell him before walking off to find Sasuke surrounded by fan girls again.

"Careful girls, get to close and you might catch STDs," I say scaring them off as I sat down next to him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were getting married to him?"

"I hadn't planned on it and I was just as shocked as you are when I found out my parents gave me off to any Hyuuga of Hiashi's choice myself." I didn't look at Sasuke as I watched Naruto dance freely and Shikarmaru being dragged into it by Naruto. Neji seemed to have disappear from sight. As a whole everyone seemed to be happy and content with everything.

"Did you know going into the dinner?"

"No, I had thought we were just going to discus where I would be living, but out of nowhere he asked if I remembered my parents agreeing to me marrying a Hyuuga. I had thought that my clan simply gave me up to strengthen a bond with the Hyuuga, but my parents had given me up. The oddest thing is I only remember being close to Hiashi when I was younger. I know that I had been like a daughter to Hiashi, so why would he suddenly want me to marry a stranger."

"You don't remember anything of your childhood?" Neji asked suddenly standing behind me with two drinks of punch.

"No, not really," I admit as I watch him take a seat beside me.

"I guess you were still too young," Neji says leaving the matter as that.

"Hiroko, you should come back on to the dance floor!" Naruto yells running up to me and trying to drag me back onto the dance floor.

"Not right now Naruto. It's been a long day and I'm a bit tired." I tell him as I cup the cup my hands around the punch drink.

"I'll take you back to the house," Neji says standing up suddenly.

"You don-"

"I should be heading back Kakashi has something in stored for me tomorrow." Sasuke stood up suddenly as he cut off my protests.

"Yeah I told my parents I wouldn't be out all night," Shikamaru says seeming slightly off. He wasn't normally like this, but with the sudden suggestion that I was tired all of them suddenly wanted to leave and head home.

"I guess the party is going to continue with just you and me!" Naruto says just as hyper as always.

"Actually if Kakashi has something planned maybe it would be best if you get some rest tonight. I don't want you to be late," I say offering a fake smile that I gave to people. It wasn't threatening in the least, but the smile wasn't real either.

"Oh, alright," Naruto says as his smile falls.

"We can't have you showing up late," I tell him kindly.

"Let's go," Neji says looping his arm in mine and leading me off.

"What time is it," I ask stifling a yawn.

"Three thirty," Neji says and I nod my head.

"It doesn't feel like it's been so long."

"No, it doesn't," he agrees.

"Neji, earlier you said that I was too young to remember something of my past. What was it?" I ask looking at him wondering what it was that he knows about my past.

"It doesn't matter," he says not leaving much room for an argument.

"Alright," I say too tired to bother with an argument. "You'll tell me one day won't you, though?"

"Maybe." I nod my head before leaning on him to keep myself up right. I wasn't aware of just how tired I was until we left the energizing music and all of the dancing. It's amazing just how drained I really am.

"We're almost there," He tells me and I just nod my head, slowly nodding off. He sighed aggravated.

"I'll carry you the rest of the way," he say picking me up suddenly.

"You don't have to," I say feeling bad and not wanting to make him do something like this.

"It's not that far," he says and I just look at him for a bit. I was unsure on what to do; I didn't want him to feel obligated to do this, but… It just didn't feel right to make him do this.

"Alright," I agree reluctantly and relaxing in his arms. Almost intently I fell asleep in his arms. He had barely walked five feet before I fell asleep.

.::Neji's POV::.

Neji looked down at Hiroko's sleeping form. For once she wasn't scowling at the world. This whole night she's seemed happy or relaxed, she had her moments when she wasn't completely happy but for the most part she's been happy tonight. When she danced she seemed free and didn't care, something that Neji hasn't seen in Hiroko in a long time. She wore a small smile on her face as she danced freely, that smile Neji wanted to see more of.

"You're still that care free little girl inside," Neji says looking at Hiroko with a light smile on his lips.


	5. Glimpse of the Past

"Hiroko," I can hear someone calling in the distance. "Hiroko, Hiroko." The voice this time came louder with each time they said my name. The distance seems to rapidly disappear; until I'm jotted awake by the sudden feel of a hand about to touch me. Quickly I take a deep breath and turn to look at the person with wide wild eyes. I took in everything in one instance until I know that I'm safe and see Neji with his hand out stretched towards me.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." His face seemed nil of emotion. He seemed almost carved out of rock with his stony expression. His eyes seemed colder as he looked at me. Had I done something to anger him? Was he upset about carrying me? He had offered and I tried to convince him it was alright. Could it be that I had put up such a fight and then I fell asleep in his arms? Slowly inside I began to drive myself insane on what caused this. I had gained ground with him and was no longer in the negatives, but it seems as if I'm farther behind then I had been when I started.

"It's time to get ready for the day. You can take the first shower." Every sentence was broken up. He held no emotion as he spoke, less than normal, and he seemed to hold cold eyes towards me.

"Neji," I ask holding my feelings of confusion and slight hurt out of my voice. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"No," he says turning his back to me.

"Alright," I say bowing and feeling as if I had done something. I know that Neji claims that I haven't done anything wrong, but the way he's treating me today makes me feel otherwise. I had made progress yesterday or I thought I had. It's hard to believe that all of yesterday was just an act. Neji defending me from the fan girl and the way his eyes held a twinkle of anger couldn't have been an act. After I was branded Neji had caught me and while his face was mutual his eyes showed concerned. No one had been around when he had done this and it wasn't so much his actions that showed that I had gained some ground with Neji but his eyes. The key to everyone's soul. Neji had also waited for me to wake up after the ceremony, that could have been nothing more than an act but I doubt Neji would go to such great length. That night Neji had even been so kind it's hard to believe that everything he did that day had been an act. I can't accept that and I don't believe that it can be an act on Neji's part. I know for a fact that Neji can be very cruel and can be rude at times, but Neji won't act for the world. Neji is the type of person that will tell you if he doesn't like you. Besides Neji seems to know something that he isn't letting on about my childhood, leading me to believe that Neji might have met me sometime before two days ago.

I grab my clothes for the day. It consisted of my usual black long sleeved shirt, black pants, and I grab my black chocker collar. I won't let Neji hold my thoughts any longer. I'll think about him and his sudden change in personality again later. Right now I should be enjoying the fact that I'm going back to training for the whole day and then go train with Sasuke. My home life won't be the same, but I won't let it ruin my normal life outside of home. I am still my own person and I won't change my life because of this. Hiashi can call me a Huuyga if he wants and try to make me one, but I will always be a Hashimoto and I still have things that I have to get done and to prove with my own clan because I can never become a Huuyga.

I hop into my shower and get out after only being in there for five minutes. I've never taken very long showers and with Neji still needing to take a shower I couldn't be very long. I step out and dry myself off and get changed into MY clothes. The clothes I love and feel like me in. The dark all black outfits that fit me as an angel of death. The angle who not only foresees death, brings death, lives in a world of death, but also can never change death. It's the life dreaded by all, but forced upon my clan, but it's not given to the females usually. It's because of this fact that women are considered inferior and pathetic simply for not possessing the stupid, cursed Mikagan. Just because of this one fact women are never allowed to join the academy and that would have applied to me if Hiashi hadn't gone behind my parents backs and signed me up for the Academy. Even back then he saw something in me that no one else around me bothered to notice because of my gender.

I shake my head fiercely to clear it of the anger that began to build up inside me from the train of thought about my clan. _I'm only linked by blood_, I tell myself before I head back to the room. I don't want anyone to see my emotions, in front of the others I have to come off calm and collect. Very few are allowed to see the truth behind my exterior.

When I get to the end of the hall I raise my hand up to the door knob, but stop as a quick flash of Neji's toned body as he stood sully in his boxer. A fresh blush crossed my cheeks, but I quickly wipe the image from my head and compose myself. I take my hand away from the door knob and knock.

"Come in," Neji's emotionless voice sounds my entrance allowed.

"The shower is all yours," I say walking in and without us ever truly acknowledging the other's appearance in the room Neji heads to the shower while I put my dirty clothes with the rest of the dirty clothes.

I sigh to myself and plop down on the bed. Neji's attitude was still bothering me, I can't help but shake the feeling as if I did something wrong yesterday to bother him. The problem is I don't know what and the more I think it over and analyze everything the more I drive myself insane.

I huff a sigh, "Neji have I done something to anger you? You can be so confusing."

"No, you haven't done anything." I hadn't expected a reply so the fact that Neji walked into the room the moment I was talking to myself startled me.

"Oh, you're done with your shower?" It was one of the stupidest question like statements I could have asked. Of course he's done with his shower. Why else would he be back in the room with his hair still slightly dripping of water if he wasn't done with his shower.

"You're as bad as my little brother," I sigh getting up off the bed and grabbing the towel hanging around his neck. Gently I begin to dry it for him, getting the excess water out of it. "If you don't start drying it you could catch a cold."

"What difference does it make to you," he says coldly. My hands stop for a moment before I continue on with the same thing I would do to my brother, but since Neji's hair was much, much longer than my little brother's I treat it more like girl hair.

"It doesn't," I reply smoothly as I drape the towel back around Neji's neck and grab a brush to begin brushing out his hair. "I would just rather you not catch a cold. Is that so wrong? I know you may not like me, but that doesn't mean I can't show you kindness." When Neji doesn't reply I know that he either doesn't have a comeback for that or Neji was contemplating something.

"There," I say placing the brush down and walking over to where all of my weapons were placed. I grab four scrolls, twenty kunai, thirteen throwing needles, twenty-two Shuriken two big ones and twenty small ones, five bombs, six exploding tags, and two daggers. These were my weapons, though most were never used I train with all of them, but the daggers were special. The only man in my clan to treat me with respect was my little brother Kikaru. He was only six when he died, three days before his seventh birthday and the daggers were his. He had started the academy the very same year of the Chunnin exams and when the Sand Village attacked he escaped from the rest of the Academy students and joined in the battle. The only weapons he had on him was his daggers that Father had given him because the first male child born receives the daggers of the family on their first day at the academy. A clan tradition, but since there is no one else in my family I grabbed them off of my brothers corps before the elders could take them. They're the last thing I have left of my brother.

"You're a weapon-ist?" Neji asks analyzing the way I hide all of my weapons on me.

"No, I hardly need to use them, but I train with all and then when the day comes that I need to use any weapon I know how to kill someone with it. These are just the main ones I keep on me, but I also know swordsmanship, medical jutsu, and other skills, I've even trained myself in the arts of different clans and village skills." Neji looks at me a bit startled by all of this. I'm thirteen so it doesn't surprise me that Neji finds this just a bit startling. My medical jutsu is only basic, but it was enough to save ninja lives countless times and heal the wounds of those on my squad.

"Shall we head downstairs," I ask just to get the topic off me and because after I grab a quick breakfast bar for breakfast I had to be off.

"Good morning," Hiashi says as Neji and I enter the dining room.

"Good morning," I reply bowing as Neji just mumbles in reply.

"Did you two enjoy yourselves last night? I saw that Neji had carried you back last night passed out Hiroko."

"Yes, last night was very nice. Thank you."

"If you don't mind me asking, are there breakfast bars or something that I can take on the go? I have to get going for my class today."

"Yes, they are in the pantry." Haishi motions to the kitchen giving me permission to go in and grab my breakfast bar.

"Thank you," I say bowing before I go grab my breakfast bar and take it to go.

While walking through the village I can feel everyone's eyes on me. No one dared to meet my eyes and whispered to the people next to them. I couldn't hear what they are saying, but I don't need to to know that they were talking about me. How could the village not talk about an outsider marring a Hyuuga and being marked with the seal? Something such as this is unheard of and for a Hashimoto to be marrying into the Hyuuga was something no one thought would happen after the rivalry started between our two clans. It was nothing like the Uchiha and Hyuuga rivalry, but it tore the once friendship apart.

The rivalry grew to the point that my parents had pushed me to get to know the Uchihas better. My parents told me as I got older that one day I would marry an Uchiha. It was because of them pushing me to get closer that I actually approached Sasuke when I found him practicing out in the woods. We were both maybe five and I had grown so tired of being yelled at at home that I went out to the woods to get away. I hadn't really been one of his fan girls even than and when I ran into him I had actually been really rude.

I chuckle to myself as I remember the day I met Sasuke.

.::Flash Back::.

I pushed my way through the bushes. I didn't exactly know where I was going; I just knew that I had to get away from home. Even if I could only escape for a little while I didn't care. I just wanted some time to myself. I had just gotten a beating from the elder and my parents yelling at me then beating me as well. My whole body ached from the elders beating and after my parents' beating I'm barely able to walk, but I had to get away. So unable to peal the torn up and blood soaked shirt off of me by myself I grabbed my jacket and left.

"Who's there," a boy sounding around my age says trying to sound big and strong.

"Does it truly matter who I am," I ask angrily as I enter the clearing a raven haired boy stood in the middle of with a kunai posed at me.

"Oh, are you just another fan girl," the boy says turning his back to me with disgust.

"Get over yourself." I snapped. I was tired with male egos lately always treating girls as useless and stupid. I got enough at home and from the clan; I didn't need it form a little boy the same age I was who I don't even know. I refused to put up with it. "Just because you're male doesn't make you greater than everyone else. You are the exact same as any other female! The elders don't always know everything!" The boy just looked at me with shocked wide eyes. He didn't know what to say to my out bust.

"Stupid boys," I mumble under my breath as I turned my back away from him.

"Wait," he says sounding a little desperate.

"What, do you want to tell me what to do as well?" I whip around and look at him with a hard look.

"What happened to your back," he asks slowly and uncertain of himself.

"It's nothing," I say guardedly.

"It doesn't look like nothing," he says making his way around me to look at my back. Trying to hide it from him I turn around in the opposite direction of his head.

"You're bleeding!" He sounded genuinely worried as his voice raises a few levels higher.

Could my back really look that bad? I had made sure that I covered it with a black jacket so that no one could see the blood. Surely it didn't look that bad? There's no way he could notice the blood and if he could why would he care? I've been beaten before and no one ever cared, so why would a boy that doesn't even know me care if I was bleeding.

"Can I take off your jacket?" He sounded so concerned for me and as if he genuinely wanted to help me.

"Why," I ask uncertain. "Why do you care or want to help me?"

"Because you're hurt. I don't want you to die or get even more injured." I hesitate for a moment unsure of myself. He seemed to truly mean what he said. Even though I had been rude to him and he didn't know me, had no reason to help me at all but this boy wanted to help me. I nod my head and begin to try and remove my jacket, but it hurt and I had to stop.

"Let me help," he says as with caution as to not hurt me he begins to take off my jacket.

"Thank you," I say in a soft whisper as we strip me of my jacket.

"No problem," the raven haired boy said with a smile before he went towards my back to try and start pealing the shirt off where the blood would be the thickest.

"What happened," the boy gasped the moment he got a look at my back.

"I got punished," I say simply in a small child like voice.

"You're parents really beat you like this?" He sounded so shocked as if the idea of a parent ever doing that to their child was really that unthinkable. Then he was a male, what would he know?

"Them and the elder both."

"They can't do that!"

"Who can't do what Sasuke," I hear a much older voice say from behind me and quickly I turn fearing for the worse.

"Big Brother," the raven haired boy known as Sasuke shouts as he runs up to his older brother. Instantly I know who the two standing before me were; Sasuke Uchiha and the heir to the Uchiha clan and Sasuke's older brother Itachi Uchiha.

"Tell her that there's no way the Elders and her parents could be behind the marks on her back bleeding." His older brother looks at me for one moment taking a good look at me and seeming to recognize the clan I was from. He could tell that I was a Hashimoto.

"Well Sasuke," his brother begins kindly looking at him with care and love, "something you need to understand that your friend here is from a different clan. She is from a clan called Hashimoto and because of the customs of that clan it's very possible that the Elder and her parents had beaten her."

"What," Sasuke shouts completely shocked by this news. "But that's not right! They shouldn't be able to do that to…" Sasuke trailed off on his tangent as he realized that he didn't even know my name.

"Hashimoto, Hiroko," I say bowing deeply though it hurt to do so.

"Hiroko, why don't I take you back to my parent's house? I'm sure they wouldn't mind and judging by the blood caused by those whip marks I'm sure you could use the treatment." Itachi seemed nice enough and he gave me a polite smile, but I was hesitant after seeing what men can do to me. He seemed to sense the hesitant as his younger brother just smiled back at me. I look at the two of them scared to go with them and to take the hand that Itachi stretched out to me now.

"Please don't tell my parents," I ask skittishly.

"Don't worry, you can trust me." Trusting in Itachi's words I grab his hand and follow the two Uchiha's back to their house to get treatment for my wounds.

.::End of Flash Back::.


	6. Questions, Questions, & Oh More Question

I arrive to our typical training spot early as always. No one would be here for about another three hours. Sasuke would be here in an hour so that we could begin sparing in simple hand to hand combat again, but in the mean time I plan on working on my jutsu again.

It was a bloodline jutsu that, since I'm a female, I'm not supposed to learn. Then again since I'm female I'm not even supposed to have the Mikagan. No one in the clan is aware of that I carry my bloodline and only three people that do know are; Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru. I hid this fact because I know exactly what would happen if anyone did find out. I've always trained myself after I found out and it came pretty naturally, but this particular jutsu that I'm trying to figure out is one that renders anything of my choice motionless. Only the most advance members of my clan have mastered it, even fewer than the total number of members alive in my clan that have unlocked the ability to see death have mastered this jutsu in all of my clan's history. It is commonly compared to unlocking the Uchaha's Mangekyou with the level of difficulty and rarity. Yet all the same I am determined to achieve it.

"I saw a branch stop moving this time," Sasuke points out as he emerges from the bushes.

"Yeah," I mumble back as I think to myself how I was aiming for the whole tree to stop swaying in the ferrous winds blowing today.

"How long have you been out here this time?"

"About an hour," I reply plopping down on the ground.

"You're not rubbing your forehead today, that's an improvement. Now all you have to do is stop the whole tree from moving and work on holding that before testing it in one of our sparing matches."

I love that about Sasuke. He's straight forward and sees it as I do. We break it up and acknowledge the progress, but eyes still on what needs to be done. He's the only one I know that does that. And as an added bounce he's not even going to mention yesterday. I'm grateful towards Sasuke that he knows what to do when it comes to me. That's why I picked him as a sparing buddy and a friend.

"You ready for today's match?" I step back and ready myself.

"You're not getting any better so I don't see myself loosing."

A few hours later Sasuke and I both have our backs to a tree breathing heavily. Two hours of none stop combat against each other. It was great for building up endurance and since we're pretty evenly matched up for each other, without using our bloodlines, we push each other to become the better fighter. In a sense I served as the training buddy version of Naruto, but less annoying to Sasuke and I'm a girl that he gets along with.

"You see that I almost had the move done," I brag in between pants.

"Yeah after I nearly had you with my chidori," he scoffs, but just ends up coughing for not breathing enough.

"Yeah, but maybe that's the push I need until I can get it on my own on normal circumstances."

"That is normal."

"Yeah for a ninja at least and you know what I meant."

"Sasuke," Sakura's shrill high picked voice sounds as she comes through the bushes and into the clearing. I sigh knowing already how this was going down as it does every time we get carried away with our training and she shows up on her way to Kakashi's clearing.

"I'm leaving; see you later for the afternoon training Sasuk." I leave using his nickname that I know bugs him, but I love the way it gets under the fan girls skin so I still use it anyways.

"What was _she_ doing her?" I can hear the venom in Sakura's voice and as I walk away I can't help but smirk. I love pissing off fan girls just as much as they love stalking Sasuke. It was entertainment of the day and we run into them at least once a day.

"Did you get a lunch or are you going out for lunch?" Sasuke calls after me and I just laugh and turn to look at him with an innocent little smile on my face.

"Oh Sauke you know me so well." I turn my back to him and continue walking off as I drop the act, "Of course I didn't bring a lunch and you answer the last one for yourself." For us that translates as 'no, what a stupid question'.

On my own I walk the few yards over to where my group trained. It was very similar in size to Kakashi's group training ground that Sasuke and I were just sparing at. I knew that it'd still be a few minutes before the rest of my teammates would be showing up so I hop up in my usual tree and relax.

Sasuke and I were both breathing normally again, but we were both still tired after our match. As I had the other day; I won again. Just barely though. When Sasuke came at me with that chidori he would have had me out for a couple of days since I didn't have enough time to react after my last attack. I got lucky that I panicked and out of panic I activated my Mikagan. At that point I don't know how I was able to render Sasuke's chakra's flow to stop, but somehow I had.

After training today I plan on asking Sasuke to come with me back to the Hashimoto compound and go to the archives. Usually I sneak out at night and enter the archives, but I can't any more since I've been passed to the Hyuuga's clan. Instead I'm going to barge right in with Sasuke and see how it plays out. Well if Sasuke wants to go with me, I'll just see how everything works out.

"Rei you're late as usual," Arata shouted at my teammate pulling me out of my train of thought.

Rie was quiet lazy and had a bad tendency to over sleep -everyday. Though while she's quiet lazy she happens to also be very powerful and a hard worker, when she puts her mind to it. Her downfalls are she's extremely good looking with her long glossy midnight black hair and captivating ice blue eyes and she's a Sasuke fan girl. If I recall correctly she is even one of the founders of Sasuke-kun Club and currently runs it. When push comes to show I know she won't let it keep her from being my teammate and we make a great team.

Arata on the other hand was pretty much the complete opposite of his cousin Shikamaru. They looked a lot the same, other than that Arata's hair was short and clipped close to the skull. Arata was hardworking, determined and anything but lazy. He got that way though because he wasn't the sharpest tool in the box and wasn't the master mind genius his cousin is who everyone compares him to.

I turn my head and look at my two rowdy teammates bickering yet again because as everyday Rie is late. I don't understand why Arata inssies on make a big deal of this everyday or why our sensie never bothered to stop it. Surely Asuka sensie was tired of the daily morning bickering like I was.

"Yes Rie is late, Arata, she's late every day, get over it!" I shout at Arata then turn on Rie who stuck her tongue out at Arata because I yelled at him. "Rie stop antagonizing him and for once-"

The moment I turn my head and look directly at Rie, making eye contact with her I feel a burning sensation build up behind me eyes. At first I think of the Hyuuga mark, but this was too familiar of a feeling only intensified. It was my Mikagan.

Rie was fighting with her back to me as a large group of sound ninjas attacked us. Sensie was protecting some civilian as Arata tried to clear a passage way. It looked as if we were on a mission or something.

I turn my head and smirk at Rie.

"Let's try this," I tell her as if we had an inside secret. Almost immediately she looks at me with a hint of fear in her eyes, but gives me a smirk back any ways.

I activate my Mikagan, but instead of my clan's normal three rings I held a star with the lines reaching out to the edge of my irises. It was the complete form! Everyone around us froze instantly. It came with a cost though, very similar to earlier; my eyes cried bloody tear because I was using a capability that I hadn't completely mastered yet. Neither one of us cared too much about it, as we rush over to sensei and Arata who seemed to desperately need our help.

"When did you master freezing people," Arata asked me sounding shocked.

"Pay attention," I order him as I bash a guy's head in who tried to kill Arata while he was distracted.

Pain was over whelming me and as it was it was taking all of my concentration to try and freeze everyone in our path so that sensei can get the civilian to safety. I wasn't showing it, but I could feel it as if I was living it.

"Ahhh!" The sound of Rie's scream caused me to stop what I was doing and look at her. My eyes widen and all concentration and thought process stopped as I feel myself become numb. Rie was just killed with a sword through her back.

"Hiroko," two frantic voices call as I'm slowly being pulled out of what I believe to be my first death vision as an angel of death.

"Rie," I call frantically as I look at her checking to make sure there was no sword run through her. Once certain of it I release a sigh; Rie was ok and in one piece.

"You had a vision didn't you," my sensei asks calmly as she looks at me.

"Yeah, how could you tell?"

"I found it odd when you stopped midsentence since you always finish what you have to say, then you fell out of your tree when you have perfect balance, and when you were out you began to bleed from your eyes something that only happens to a Hashimoto when they have their first death vision, and finally when you opened your eyes you had the fully activated and developed Mikagan." My sensei was smart, nothing gets past her so it doesn't surprise me that she would be able to put it all together before I even finished my first death vision.

"What was it like?" Arata asks with Rie nodding her head enthusiastically. All I could think is that Rie is the last one who should be enthusiastic about this vision.

"I believe that the better question to be asking is who it was about," our sensei corrects them.

"It's was about all of us and a mission, but I saw Rie's death." Instantly the joy and enthusiasm dropped to dread and silence. Everyone knows that once a Hashimoto predicted your death nothing could change it. Only five times has a death been avoided, but I'm hoping that maybe because the mission hasn't been assigned to us I can tell the Elder assigning the mission what I saw and have them send a more elite squad out to take care of this mission.

"Why don't we postpone our lesson today? Hiroko seems to be completely drained as it is today after her vision and I believe you've all earned a day of rest." Sensei would never lie to us, but we all know the true reason on why she's canceling training today. None of us were fooled, but we all nodded our heads and left; except me.

I walk over to my tree and hop up in it. In silence I wipe away the dry blood that covered my cheeks. My head was throbbing and I had so many questions going through my head. Today has just left me with so many questions. How had I stopped Sasuke's chakra flow? How had that vision come to me? I know that visions are spontaneous, but for your first vision you have to have your Mikagan activated and already have unlocked the full Mikagan. Neither of those took place when I had that vision. So what caused it?

"Are you ok Hiroko," my sensei asks as she hops up on the tree and squats in front of me.

"I'm fine," I lie. "I just have a lot of questions that need to be answered. If you don't mind I'd like to be by myself right now."

"Not at all." With that my sensei hops done and leaves me alone.

"Lunch," Sasuke says setting a small bento box in front of me. He doesn't say a word about how odd I seem or even that I didn't acknowledge him. I simply grab the small bento box and chop sticks that went with it and began to eat it.

"Come with me to the Hashimoto compound," I say out of the blue.

"What do you have planned," Sasuke asks and I already know that he's going to do it by the answer.

"Break into the archives. On top of what happened today while training with you I had a death vision earlier today about one of my teammates while we're on a mission. My Mikagan was not activated and until today I've never had it fully activated. You know as well as I do that's not normal."

"What's your plan?"

"Walk in there and see where that leads." He didn't argue or say anything though we both know that that's not a very well thought out plan, but he trusts me to have this work out well.

"Hiroko," Sasuke says suddenly and pulls my thoughts back to reality and not my train of circles I was leading myself in. "You're different and Neji should be proud to call you his future wife." I smile a very rare and genuine smile at Sasuke.

Out of anyone if I had to pick a guy that I wouldn't mind having to spend the rest of my life with or have an arranged marriage with I would pick Sasuke. When I was seven I remember one day over hearing my parents talk to Sasuke's parents while Sasuke and I were in my room playing.

.::Flash Back::.

"I know that you had once made an agreement with the Hyuuga family to have Hiroko married off to one of them when she turns thirteen, as is custom with your clan. Since then your two families have grown to hate each other for… lack of a better word disagreements." It was Sasuke's father speaking at the time to my parents. While younger neither Sasuke or I understood what our parents were talking about but we both knew that it was beyond their usual casual talk by how serous Sasuke's dad was speaking so we both deiced to act as if we were ninjas and listened in on the conversation.

"Yes for lack of a better word," my father agreed with his guard up, another indication that this wasn't just normal conversation.

"Well over the years our son Sasuke and your daughter Hiroko have grown quiet close and since your daughter is without a husband to be I have a proposition."

"I'm listening."

"For as far back as either of us can remember our clans have hated each other, but imagine the possibility if our clans merged. The Hashimoto and Uchiha's are two very powerful clans, it would take a while for both clans to accept this arrangement, but I've seen it with my own eye on how everyone in my clan has already began to accept Hiroko as if she is one of our own. I'm sure you've noticed some people in your clan as well accepting Sasuke and Itachi from how often they come over."

"I can't deny that I have. The elders aren't too happy about it of course, but even they are growing to accept the fact that your boys come over almost every day."

"Then allow your daughter Hiroko to marry our son Sasuke."

.::End of Flash Back::.

"Sasuke, do you remember how your parents used to come over to my places?"

"Yes, why," he asks as he begins to go to that darker more secretive self because of the mention of his parents.

"Do you remember that time our parents were arranging for us to get married when we're older?"

"Yes why."

"Well I had forgotten about it until what you had said just a little bit ago. I find it kind of funny. Out of everyone if I had to get married and spend the rest of my life with someone, I would choose to spend it with you. Even out of my few friends you know me best. You understand why I'm the way I am, we've mourned together and we even share the common goal of bringing Itachi down after he slaughter your clan. I had agreed to help you to breathe life back in your clan in any way that we can. Yet here we are today and because of something that my parents probably agreed to when I was like one I'm not able to do everything we promised each other." I tilt my head upwards towards the sky. It seemed cloudy today. It wasn't going to rain, but it wasn't bright and sunny either.

"We could find a way." I turn my head and look at him with my head cocked to the side. "I'm supposed to eventually find a bride that can carry on the Uchiha bloodline. We could get you tested for it. You're already marked as a Hyuuga and if you are proven capable of carrying on the Uchiha bloodline the Hyuugas would be forced to give you up. You would have to one day be married to me for this to work, but…" he trails off as he realizes something in what he was saying. He knows how much I hate feeling like someone just being traded off from person to person and even more so being treated like a piece of property to be owned.

"I'd like that," I say thoughtfully. I didn't have problems with Neji and he seems like he can be a really great guy, but he's not the one that I want to marry. I want to marry a guy that I choose and someone I actually have feelings for. I like Neji, I really do, I think he would make a great husband, but I feel as if he deserves someone that can be a real wife. He deserves a Hyuuga housewife that I can never be. Sasuke on the other hand needs someone that can understand him, that knows him for who he truly is, someone that can be there for him and understand why he does the things he does, and in all honesty over the years I've grown in love with him. He doesn't know it, not that I'm aware of, because no one knows it.

"Let's go to the archives," Sasuke says standing up and grabbing our small bento boxes before hopping down. I hop down and we begin to make our way to the Hashimoto compound.


	7. Thats not Supposed to Happen

Middle of broad day light I'm barging right into my clan from hell with countless demons after my head and dragging my best friend right on in there with me. This has to be my worse plan in my life by far and Sasuke and I have done some pretty stupid things together growing up. I'm sure that if this wasn't me asking Sasuke to barge into my clan, enter a forbidden area, look and if need be steal the archives that only the head of the clan is supposed to look at, and then leave without being caught Sasuke would look at the person and then tell them they're crazy and leave. I'm not just anyone else though I am me so he wouldn't tell me I'm crazy and leave, nope without hesitation he agrees and joins me without either one of us having a plan.

I enter through the clan gate doors without much of a problem because no one was at the gate doors as usual since its still lunch time which means the guards are at lunch. Both Sasuke and I were glad for that because it made our mission a little easier. Our biggest problem was getting all the way to the other end of the compound without anyone that hates me and would gladly get me in trouble seeing me or Sasuke. That made maybe three people I could run into out of close to four hundred people in my clan and close to three hundred of them should be here right now. Our odds weren't great.

"I hate this place," I mumble to myself as I look around. Everyone was nice to everyone so long as you did what you are supposed to do and what's considered acceptable in my clan. That was my problem though. I didn't do what was acceptable of a female in my clan. I spoke my mind, I became a ninja, and when beaten I look them straight in the eyes refusing to scream or even flinch. So I became the social outcast of my clan and the number one hated. If it wasn't for the arranged marriage with Neji I most likely wouldn't be getting married at all, at least not in my clan.

"As do I," Sasuke agrees as we continue walking through the compound trying not to get spotted.

"Sasuke the Head," I whisper panicky while shoving Sasuke into an ally area to hide him. The Head of my clan was turning onto the street right as I caught site of him. As usual he was being escorted by ninja guards of our clan. He hasn't admitted it, but I've had a feeling that he wasn't in great health lately. It's to be expected considering he was in his late sixties, but he hasn't let any of the clan members know about it, except maybe the members that run our clan with him.

I turn my head so that only my eyes was reveled as to get a good look at where the Head was. I wanted to keep an eye on him and see if he suspected anything. At the slightest look at him I could feel it happening again. A burning sensation began in the back of my head then took over me as i sub-came to it.

Cough after cough. My throat burned and ached and the more I tried to stop the cough the worse it became. With my hands up by my throat I try to find something to sooth my throat and the cough. I reach out towards where a cup is supposed to be, but come up empty handed. Knowing a cup of water was there just a moment earlier I look up to see the Head's son looking down at me with a smirk.

"Sorry dad, but I had to. This is my position and frankly you're just too old now and in my way."

I'm pulled out of the vision coughing heavily until my mind registers that I was fine and not dying. I look up at Sasuke who was holding me in his arms as he knelled on the ground. I turned my head away from Sasuke's worried expression feeling other sets of eyes on me. The guards that were walking with the Head and the Head himself were watching me. At this point figuring they already knew what had happened and about my secret since my Mikagan was still activated I deiced I had no choice, but to tell them.

"I had vision of your death Sir. Your son is going to poison you."

"Do you realize the punishment for that sort of accusations wench," one of the guards yell at me seeming angered by the sight of me.

"Believe me if you want or don't. I personally don't care if you die." I didn't even acknowledge the guard, I was speaking directly to the Head.

"Watch your tongue," the guard shouts at me again. The Head puts up his hand telling the guard to be silenced.

"Obviously Hiroko knows what our punishments are, she certainly is familiar with them that is for sure. Plus, considering she is sitting in front of us with Mikagan activated I don't think she is lying." Out of all of the times I've encountered the Head I believe this is the closest to nice he has ever been to me since I was seven. Part of it was because Sasuke was here beside me and he has to make good impression and another reason is because I'm sitting in front of him with the Mikagan activated and just gave him a death vision of his own death.

I've been told stories of how Hashimoto members will deliver and live through death visions countless times and the Hashimoto will have no problem at all and won't be fazed. We seem so brave and proud and completely calm and fine with death. Because of our lack of a reaction and that we live in a world of death with a special bond with death most think that when our own death is to come we would accept it and be ok with it. That is the complete opposite of it. From what I've seen it seems as if because we see it so often and have that bond with death we understand just how precious life really is and we want to live more than ever. Most Hashimoto members are more scared of death than any other clan. The difference between all of us though is how we react to our predicted death.

"Come with me Hiroko there are a few things I want to discuss with you." The Head begins to walk away before waiting for my reply or even for me to get up. Rushing to catch up with him I quickly get up to my feet, but fall backwards instead.

"I got you," Sasuke reassures me as he helps me walk.

We reach the building that holds the archives in a few minutes. I received a lot of dirty looks as girls drooled over Sasuke and everyone bowed and showed respect to the Head. Without a word the guards stayed outside knowing better than to enter the building. So instead of entering they stay outside guarding the entrance.

"Only Hashimotos invited are allowed to enter, Uchiha." The Head spoke coldly towards Sasuke, but I turn and look at the Head coldly not allowing him an inch of warmth or ground as I spoke.

"He comes with me or I leave." Whatever the Head had planned had to be important or he wouldn't want to talk to me a lone. I've lived around him and dealt with him enough to understand this about him. He was correct though about the rules of the archives, but I need Sasuke beside me right now. I was confused by everything that has happened today and I need someone besides me. Seeming to top it all off as well is that my body is drained.

"You know the rules and with that tone of disrespect I'll have to punish you when we get in there."

"Punish me as you please it has no affect on me, but I'm not entering there until you allow Sasuke to enter with me." The Head stares at me with hate, but when he realizes that I'm not backing down he releases his glare.

"Are you willing to take double punishment for this _Uchiha_ to enter?" He spoke with disgust towards Sasuke as he threatened me in an agreement.

"Beat me until you're satisfied. Either way he's coming with me."

"My pleasure." The Head turns his head and walks into the archives with Sasuke and me following alongside him. Sasuke and I sit across from the Head at a small square table side by side.

"You should have just gone in without me."

"I can hardly hold myself up, I wasn't going to walk into the throne room of hell with the devil himself by myself," I whisper back.

"How long have you been having visions?" Just as I figured, this was going to be an interrogation.

"Since today, but they happen even without my Mikagan activated. I've even managed to stop chakra from flowing and can stop small objects from moving." It might not be the best thing to tell all of this to the head, but I really wanted to rub it in his face and he might be able to help me understand my questions if I do tell him everything.

"How long have you had the Mikagan?" I can see the shock that he's trying to keep from me, but he ran his wrinkled hand through his grayed hair and I know I've gotten to him. I smirk to myself at my success.

"Almost five years now." The Heads eyes widen. Five years would put me at the age of seven, the youngest to ever receive the Mikagan was ten on record so it was yet another surprise to the Head.

"Well since that seems to be the case I want you to come here everyday during your normal training time with your sempie everyday. That is whenever your done licking your wounds." The Head stands up and walks over to a cleared area that was far enough away from the documents that blood would not splatter on them. Knowing how this goes I walk over towards him and get on my knees with my back turned towards him and undo the three buttons that I bother buttoning of my black shirt. I hold my head up high and take the the whippings from the whip light on fire. I don't flinch or react in anyway. I just keep my eyes on Sasuke feeling sorry that he has to watch this and can't do anything because he knows I wouldn't forgive him if he interfered.

This wasn't the first time he's seen this. The Hashimotos don't hide the fact that they beat each other. A couple of times I've come home late and Sasuke sees my parents beat me and most times after I was beaten I would go over to Sasuke's where Itachi and him would help me so I don't die from blood lost and to clean out the wounds. I didn't want anyone to know and I knew even back then that Sasuke and Itachi could be trusted. The one time Sasuke did have to bare full witness to one of my beatings from the Head he tried to get in the way, but I shoved him out of the way and told him if he ever interfered again I would never forgive him. He knew I was serous and since that day has never tried to interfere in my beatings again.

"Now leave," the Head orders as he kicks my bloody mangled body. I grab my shirt and slide it on. As I try to stand I find my body to weak.

"Stay with me," Sasuke tells me as he picks me up and slides my arm around his shoulder and with his hand on my lower back so he doesn't touch any of my open wounds. "Tell me a story Hiroko." It was hard to think, but I understand that he's just trying to keep me awake and consensus.

"I-I don't think... Did I tell you about... the day my parents... died. What had... their death." I couldn't really think and I was in so much pain that it was hard to breath and even harder to speak coherent sentences.

"No not in full. What happened that day Hiriko," Sasuke props me.

"My mom... she got in a fight... dad was mad at mom... he beat her... I stood up... dad didn't like... that.. mom and dad... mad at me.. they hate me... they died... hating me... Sasuke," I choke as tears begin to spill. "My mom... and dad... they want anyone... else but.. me."

"Hiroko, your parents love you, don't you dare think otherwise. They would be proud. You're a strong ninja and an even better kind of Hashimoto."

"No.. they told me... they hate me... because of... all those... things. I'm not... a true Hashi-moto."

"Hiroko," Sasuke says lying me down on the bed in his room. I turn my head to look at him with my tear filled eyes.

"You're a great ninja and they should be proud of you. If they were too blind to realize that then they never deserved you." I look at him shocked. I understand that I was being extremely emotional for me and Sasuke knew it as well since this wasn't the first time he's dealt with me like this when I'm so close to death, but I think he understood just what those words mean to me.

'Thank you," I tell him smiling before passing out on his bed.


	8. Licking Wounds

I open my eyes slowly as I begin waking up from passing out.

"I was able to convince Hiashi to let you spend the night. I told him that your team and your friends were hanging out tonight so you'll tell him you passed out at Rie if you don't feel like going back. I also pulled out your spare clothes." After enough times of us going through very similar situations we decided it would be best for me to leave a couple extra sets of clothes and pjs for when I just spend the night here instead of sleeping at my place. It helps and has come in handy quite a few times before.

"I'd like to just spend the night here, but I know that I should head back to the Hyuuga compound."I want to spend the night here with Sasuke and it's not that I hate the idea of having to go back to the Hyuuga compound, I just don't know what mood Neji is going to be in and I really just needed someone that will be kind to me. I'm not afraid of death, the beatings, or the hate that I receive from others I just always feel so weak after harsh beatings like today. So at times like this I need one of my guys and I don't know if I can take Neji in a bad mood.

"Go take your shower; I'll have dinner done when you get out." I nod my head and with a bit of Sasuke's help I stand up.

"Thank you," I tell him with a hug before I head off to my showers.

Normally no, Sasuke would not be able to have a meal done while I take a shower. But, when I'm like this we both know I'm going to be slow moving and I'm going to take a long twenty minute shower. I have to wash away all of the dry blood and I just need to be under the hot steam of the almost scolding hot water. This was just another part of our handling of this and another thing that Sasuke will always know and understand about me better than anyone.

I get out of my shower and carefully dry myself off, wrap my wounds, and get dressed in my fresh set off clothes. Before heading downstairs I toss my clothes into the garbage can.

"How do you feel," Sasuke asks me as I wrap my arms around him just wanting a hug.

"I'll be fine."

"Your food is on the counter behind you." I nod my head and grab my food. It was salmon and a leftover cake ball from lunch with a strawberry Ramuune, my favorite meal. In silence we ate and when it was time for me to go Sasuke walked me to the gates of the Hyuuga clan compound.

"You're back," Hiashi asks as I enter the house taking my shoes off at the door.

"Yes Hiashi," I reply looking up at him.

"From the sound of it when Sasuke was explaining what he had planed I figured you were going to spend the night at one of your friend's house."

"No we all still have training to do and responsibilities so we ended it early."

"Did you go swimming, your hair is wet?"

"I took a shower at a friend's place since I was covered in sweat after training with Sasuke." He nods his head thoughtfully.

"Well, Neji is upstairs waiting for you. He wanted to stay down here until you got back, but I told him to head upstairs."

"He isn't mad is he?" The question i feared and the answer that terrified me. I really don't want Neji to be in a bad mood and even less so right now. I can't handle it when I'm like this to have someone I care about and around me to be mad at me or in a bad mood.

"No, he's more worried. Apparently he's had a bad feeling most of today."

"Odd," I say to myself then head upstairs.

As I get to the door I'm about to just open it, but I remember what happened when I opened the door without warning. A blush creeps across my face at the sight of him standing only in his boxers. As the blush fades I knock on the door. In a second the door was opened to Neji who seems more reveled and happy then I ever remember before.

"Hiroko," he says in a sigh that released all of his tense stress.

"I'm sorry if I worried you. If I had known that Sasuke and the others planned to have a fun get together I would have at the very least told you."

"No, it's fine." He turns to allow me into the room without taking his eyes off of me.

"If you don't mind I really just feel like heading to bed tonight."

"I don't, but would you like to get dressed before heading to bed?"

"Not tonight," I tell him as I carefully crawl into the bed. In just a few moments he crawls in and as we usually do he's on the farthest side from me. Tonight I don't want him so far away from me; I want him close to me and to be held by him. I want to feel his warmth and to bask in the comfort he offered me just yesterday, well it'd be two days ago now since it's about two in the morning.

I roll over on to my side and wrap my arm around him, nuzzling my face in between his shoulder blades. He stiffens a bit by this sudden act. Considering how we keep our distance as much as possible if he did this to me I'd be shocked and tense as well. Today if he wrapped his arms around me I'd relax immediately and fall asleep in his arms.

"Hiroko," he asks.

"Hm," I reply into his shirt.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"Hmh," I mumble nodding my head a bit. Slowly I feel his muscles relax and he wraps his arm around my arm wrapped around him. It didn't take me long to fall asleep.

"Hiroko," Neji says sounding a bit worried.

"Mh," ask as I slowly open my eyes to see him looking back at me.

"Why is your back bleeding?" He still sounded worried, but his voice was much harsher this time.

"Shit," I curse under my breath.

"I'll explain later, but just help me and get some wraps. I'll take care of the bedding." Quickly I begin stripping the bed of its linen and taking them to the washing machine. I take off my shirt seeing how it was completely soaked in blood. I was grateful that it was only six in the morning right now and I had about an hour before anyone should be waking up, otherwise I'd have a lot of explaining to do- not that I already don't.

"Explain," Neji demands as he hands me the wraps on my way into the room. With a sigh I sit down on the stripped bed and begin to unwrap my blood soaked bandages.

"I inherited my family bloodline- the Mikagan- and yesterday while training with Sasuke I stopped his chakra flow. I also had two death visions without my Mikagan activated. Sasuke and I went to my clan's compound to investigate about it when I had my second death vision, this time about the Head. He took me to the achieve, but because I didn't show him the respect that ego maniac ass believes he deserves and because I made him let Sasuke come in with me he beat me."

"That's why you were home late," he concludes as he throws away the bloody bandages and takes the hydroperoxide and cotton balls from me.

"Yeah." I could feel the sting of the hydroperoxide as he begins cleaning the wounds out for me.

"Is that also why you wrapped your arms around me when we went to bed?" I hesitate for a bit feeling bad as I admit it out loud.

"Yes.. I wanted to be held by someone and the other day I felt safe with you beside me and comfort so I curled up next to you." I wait for his reply and the longer it takes the more worried I feel that I might have said something to anger him.

"If all you wanted was that then why didn't you just stay with Sasuke last night?" I flinch at how harsh his voice sounds towards me.

"I knew I could, but I was also worried that you would be in a bad mood." I figured since I'm telling the complete truth and laying it all out there I might as well just tell him everything.

I feel his hand stop for a moment at what I say before he continues.

"Why would you worry about if I'm in a bad mood?" I turn around and look at him, my voice starts out calm but as I continue talking my voice begins to raise as my emotions get the better of me.

"Did you ever stop to think that maybe I actually care? I'm nowhere close to prefect and I get it if I piss you off, but I really do care if you're in a bad mood and it does affect me! Every day since I've been here, which isn't all that many, you've been either extremely nice and caring or hating my freaking guts. I've honestly considered if maybe you're bipolar or something! I don't even know what I've done to you." I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "Yeah I get if you hate me because I'm ruining your life somehow by being _forced_ to marry you, but stop playing with me! Because every time you're nice to me I think, maybe just maybe we could at least be friends, but every time after you show me kindness you act like a complete and total_jerk_ towards me!" I'm breathing heavily after getting myself worked up so much. I don't know how I didn't wake anyone up after yelling so loud, but Neji is just looking at me. He doesn't say anything to me; he just looks at me with that blank expression. It was as if he was used to this somehow and knew how I would react because he wraps his arms around me right before I suddenly burst into tears of frustration.

"You didn't ruin my life Hiroko, you brought back something to me that was supposed to be lost forever." I look up at him with my blood shot eyes, tear streaked face, and splotchy face.

"How," I ask as I begin to get my tears under control.

"When I was younger I was promised by someone I loved that we would be married, but that girl disappeared when her family got mad at Hiashi for teaching her how to fight and signed her up the ninja academy. You remind me a lot of her. You're a bit colder and much thicker skinned, but you're so much like her." I look at him for a bit before turning my body so my legs went over his and I laid my head on his chest, closing my eyes.

I open my eyes slowly to find myself curled up next to Neji with his arms wrapped around me very carefully as to not touch any of my newly wrapped back. My hands were curled into fists full of his shirt. Slowly I release his shirt trying not to wake him.

"I'm already awake," Neji tells me softly.

"What time is it," I ask as I slowly sit up.

"Almost nine," he answers calmly.

"Shit," I curse as I bolt upright. "I'm going to be late!" I quickly grab my clothes throwing them on as I run down the stairs and out the door heading straight to the Hashimoto compound.

"I'm surprise you showed up today Hiroko, considering your friend had to carry you out of here yesterday." The guards around us laugh, but I calmly walk past and head into the archives to set out for work.

I sigh as I look out the window across the room. It had to be about eight o'clock at night by now, but I hadn't found anything that can really help me. I decide to call it a night and leave the compound.

"Hiroko," I hear Sasuke call as I walk out of the compound gates.

"Sasuke," I answer shocked to see him.

"Have you eaten today?"

"Do I need to answer that," I joke as I walk beside him.

"How are your lashes?"

"Neji knows because he woke up in the middle of the night to find blood all over the bed," I sigh. I didn't have to give him a straight answer on the matter, he knows me well enough to know that I'll be fine by my answer and how I'm doing today and with the bit of information I gave him he also knows how bad they are.

"Did you find anything today?"

"No not really. Everything that I've come across is stuff that I already learned from the previous times I broke into the archives." With that we walk in silence. By the street we're walking down I can tell that he was taking me to my favorite sushi place in the whole leaf village.

"What's the special occasion" I ask as the staff sees us walk in.

"Hiroko, Sasuke," everyone shouts greeting us.

"It's been a while. How have you two been doing?"

"Hey, we're doing pretty good. How are you doing? I see business is still doing great."

"Yeah it is."

"How's your son," Sasuke asks.

"Well he misses you guys. He says that you need to come by the restaurant more and I agree it's been a month since you two have come by. Well you've come by a couple times to pick up lunch for you two," the restaurant owner says directing the last part towards Sasuke.

"Well is he here now I'm sure Kia would love to see us."

"Unfortunately not, he came down with the flu."

"Well I hope he feels better soon."

"Thanks. Now should I get you two the usual for dinner?"

"Yeah," Sasuke and I say together. Sasuke and I chat a bit as we wait for our food that the chef brings to us personally so that he can say hi. The more we talk though the more I can't help but feel that something is wrong. It felt like something big was going to happen and Sasuke was keeping it from me.

"Hiroko," Sasuke says suddenly as we approach the Hyuuga compound gates.

"Hm."

"The blood test, it came back positive. When I come by to get you I can take you away from here."

"That's great! So I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Bye," Sasuke says hugging me. I'm caught off guard a bit because Sasuke doesn't hug me in public, but it felt nice and I wasn't going to argue about it with him.

"Bye Sasuke," I say heading into the compound and from behind me I can hear Sasuke say from the gates.

"Goodbye Hiroko, I'll come back for you." It was odd, but I try not to think too much about it.

"You took off in quiet the hurry this morning Hiroko, is everything ok?"

"Hiroko just over slept this morning Hiashi," Neji says as he's walking out of the dining room which must mean Hinata was out in the kitchen doing dishes.

"Were you late?"

"No Hiashi, I got there just in time."

"Good, well I'll leave you two to yourselves." Neji and I bow as Hiashi walks off then we head upstairs.

"I'm going to take a shower if you don't mind."

"You don't need to ask me." With that I grab my stuff and head to bathroom.

When I get into the bathroom I strip out of my pants and a letter folded up falls out of my pants pocket. I look at it for a bit unsure where it came from.

_Dear Hiroko,  
>You're the only one I want to know this and would understand why I'm leaving to join Orochimaru. He can give me power to kill Itachi and avenge my clan. If I could I'd bring you with I would, but I'm not putting you in any more harms way then need be. What I said about you becoming my bride I mean, but it has to wait for me to come back. I love you Hiroko.<br>-Sasuke_

I hit the floor crying my eyes out clutching the paper. He was gone already I know it and everything made since now; why he took me out to my favorite restaurant, the feeling I had all day since I met up with him, the strange good bye whispered, all of it. Everything made sense. Sasuke was leaving me.

"Hiroko," I hear Neji call as he walks in seeming shocked when he sees me on the floor crying.

"He's gone Neji. He left me." My voice sounded choked up and was hard to understand.

"Who?"

"Sasuke, he left the village." Neji sees the note in my hand and takes it from me gently. I watch as he reads it and see his face harden, but watch the anger disappear when he looks back down at me. He holds me there on the floor in his arms until I stop crying then grabs my pants and carries me to the bedroom. Once propped up by the bed Neji begins rocking me back and forth a bit. Slowly I began to feel myself dozing off.

"Promise me you won't go after him or stop him when everyone figures out he's gone."

"If I get assigned to the mission I'll take it because I have to, but otherwise I promise I won't." I nod my head then grab onto his shirt and turn my head so my face is buried into his chest.

AN: So I'm guessing we all figured this day was to come soon since where I had us in the real time line of Naruto and for this to be a Neji story the person that held Hiroko's heart had to go soooo bye bye Sasuke. I'm sure all of you Neji lovers are happy about that.


	9. Neji!

Neji and I both woke to the sound of someone knocking on the door. Looking out the window it was just after sunrise. For someone to be knocking on the door around this time the village must already know about Sasuke. Neji turns to look at me and I just nod my head. I walk with him downstairs to find Shikamaru standing at the door.

"Hiroko, Neji I want you on my team to bring Sasuke back." Neji looks down at me and I only nod my head telling him to go. I can decline and it'd make sense, but Neji was being asked to join this mission and he has no reason to not without looking suspicious.

"Let's go," he says still dressed for a normal day since last night he never did get a chance to get dressed.

"And you Hiroko," Shikamaru asks though I just shook my head no.

"I'd only compromise the mission Shikamaru." He looks at me clearly understanding just how hard this has to be on me, my best friend all my life suddenly just up and gone one night. What he doesn't understand is I want him back, I truly do, but I also understand that he feels he has to do this and nothing is going to stop him.

"I'll bring him back Hiroko; we all will." I shake my head again and wrap my arms around myself feeling like I was going to cry again.

"No you won't. Orochimaru has him and we all know it. We all saw what Orochimaru can offer him during the Chuninn Exams. Sasuke wants that power and he's not going to stop until he gets his revenge. You don't have to like or really know Sasuke to understand that about him. Plus if a person that doesn't know how to harness that power did what we saw imagine what those that do can do to us. So no don't promise me something you know you can't and won't be able to do." I turn and leave a sense of dread in the air on the group. It was cold of me, but I had to say it. I'm sure Shikamaru is smart enough to have realized what I said even before that, I was just the one that was going to say it out loud. Besides I wasn't going to delude myself into believing in something that wasn't even possible.

In the silent still sleeping house I feel even more alone. I need to get out of this house and do something with myself. Since I put my pants on from last night before answering the door I just leave. I head over to my clan compound and go to the archives. Thankfully the guards just let me in without any hassle.

I set to work and just engross myself in my work. I didn't want to think about anything or allow myself to focus on anything other than finding some of the answers to my questions.

"So tell me were those beatings worth it for a traitor to the village?" I turn my head to look at my clan head. He stood so smugly across the room, but he was slowly making his way towards me.

"You know nothing about Sasuke!" I was defensive. Sasuke left but he was not a traitor.

"Oh, do you know that he left the village last night to join the _very_ same person that killed our Hokage."

"And I'm sure you're happy about that because now you can run to fill the spot." Venom was dripping from my voice as I glared daggers at him.

"Watch your mouth!" A hand quickly flew across my face, knocking me out of my chair. "Now that's how you should be. On your knees and head bowed by my feet." I look up at his smug face with defiant eyes.

"The Uchiha's didn't deserve to be massacred, our clan did." With that said I spit on his shoes and stand up.

"Who do you think you are?" The Head yells as he grabs me by the back of my hair. "This clan has given you _everything_! Everything you hear me!" As if he can't even stand the sight of me he tosses me like a rag doll across the room.

"This clan has _beaten _me for not being what you want of me! Because I want to become a _proud_ _ninja_! I'm glad I'm getting married and you want to know why? So I can finally get _rid_ of the title _Hashimoto_ and I will be _more powerful_ than anything_any_ of you have ever seen! You'll wish you never gave me away to the _Hyuuga clan_!" I storm past the Head pissed off and ready to kill someone. The Head suddenly grabs my shoulder and without even looking at him I dislocate his shoulder.

"You'll pay for this! Don't you dare step into this compound ever again! You are no longer a Hashimoto!" As I open the doors I stop and chuckle to myself.

"Go dig yourself a grave and die there." I had nothing else to say, but I left with a smile at the sound of panic coming from the guards. I head off to the woods to just get away from everything.

I was in a foul mood and nothing was going to make it better. I was glad that the Head finally got a taste of what he's dished out to me over the years and that made me feel better, but that didn't fix anything either. In fact it only made my life harder because now I can't even be allowed within ten feet of the compound. I sigh to myself as I get to where I was heading.

"I thought you'd head here today." I turn in the direction of the voice with wide eyes to find Hiashi standing in the clearing.

"How did you know," I ask as I walk over to him.

"Because when you were still just a little kid you would always come here when you were upset and to play with Neji." He added the last part slowly and as if unsure if he should say it and it was that last part that threw me off the most.

"I heard your fight with Neji that day you were running late. You said you didn't understand why Neji was always so hot and cold towards you. I got up to try and calm everything down. He told you of a girl that he loved and was supposed to marry, that was lost to him forever; that was you. When you were five your parents pulled you away from Neji and my clan because I saw the potential in you and then signed you up for the academy. That was the last straw and while your clan insisted in pulling you out the Hokage stepped in and forced them to keep you in because he as well saw that potential."

"If this is true then why can I remember you and not him?" I was challenging him, but if what he said is true then it'd explain a lot of things about my messed up life and why I can't remember much of my life leading up to the age of five since my clan has the capability to wipe memories; just one of the many perks of the Mikagan.

"Because I continued to visit you and train you. That's what all our sessions where about; I was training you in the gentle fist technique. You saw it when Neji fought; I saw it on your face during the Chuninn Exam when you realized it." He was right I did realize that my fighting style was a mix of my clans, the academy's training, and the gentle fist. Everything he was saying was true, but it still didn't seem possible that I was that girl Neji was talking about.

"Hiashi Hyuuga," an argent pressing voice calls as an ANBU officer appears in the clearing.

"Yes," Hiashi asks turning to face the ANBU officer.

"Neji has come back from the mission and is now in intensive care."

"How bad is it," I demand as I look at the ANBU with a worried expression. It takes a lot for me to truly worry about a person and even more so for me to show it the way I am, but I already lost Sasuke and I can't lose Neji now. He frustrated me at times, but I truly do care for him. I'd consider him one of my guys at this point. I don't want to lose him.

"We don't know yet, but Lady Tsunade is requesting special access to documents that would be able to help her in healing him."

"Yes, of course," Hiashi answers managing to stay as calm as possible. Without a word to any one I rush over the hospital as fast as my feet would take me.

"Neji Hyuuga," I demand as I reach the reception desk panting heavily.

"You can't see him right now," the woman tells me calmly.

"Just point me to where he is, I'll wait outside, I just want to know where he is." I was being rude and probably over reacting a bit, but I was scared for him and I had to know he was going to be ok.

"Over there," the woman says pointing me towards a hallway to my right.

"Thanks," I call as I rush over to where he was being held. There wasn't much for me to do as I waited for hours sitting outside the door that they were keeping him behind.

.::Neji's POV::.

I slowly begin to come through and turn my head to find Hiroko passed out in the chair beside my bed, with her head lying on the hospital bed.

"She passed out outside of the ER room where we had you in while you were still in intensive care. She spent quite a few days there waiting for you before her body couldn't take it anymore." I turn my head to see a blonde lady standing in front of me, judging by her outfit she was the nurse taking care of me.

"Hm," I answer turning my gaze back to Hiroko.

"Neji," she mumbles in her sleep then turns her head. I smooth some of her hair down and she jolts awake. In an instant her eyes find me and I watch the worry look on her face disappear as she sees I'm ok.

"Neji," she says with a wide smile on her face and as if all the worry in the world is released she relaxes. "How do you feel," she asks.

"Fine," I reply and she nods her head.

"Neji," she says slowly, "I have to ask. Hiashi told me that when we were younger that we were friends and that that girl you were talking about a few nights ago was me; is that true?" I look at her, trying to keep my face completely composed.

"Yes." I watch for her reaction, but as usual of her now she's keeping her thoughts to herself and not allowing others to read her.


	10. Slap!

A few days have passed and Neji and I have had a sense of unease between us. Lately we haven't talked much, but I still find myself curling up next to him when going to sleep. I don't know why the air is so tense, it just was. It was odd though because we did talk for a while after he woke up and I asked him about what Hiashi said.

Sitting up in a tree waiting for my team to show up at the Hokage office I replay the same scene for what must be the 58thtime.

.:: Flashback::.

"How are the others? Did they bring him back?" I shake my head to his question and he sighs. We both knew the mission was going to fail, but I think part of us both hoped that it was going to be a success.

"Shika came back fine with few to no wounds. Naruto was brought back by Kakashi unconscious, but it was mostly from exhaustion. All of his wounds according to Lady Tsunade are minor, but he used up most of his chakra supply. Kiba and Akamaru are still in pretty bad shape, they were almost killed until Kankurou showed up and saved them. Lee is doing pretty well too thanks to Gaara. The Sand shinobi saved the mission otherwise I think Shika wouldn't have made it from what he was telling me. Temari apparently showed up and helped him defeat his opponent." Neji takes this all in and I can tell that a small portion of him had changed during that fight. Nothing big really, but he was still changed inside.

.::End of Flashback::.

I sigh to myself. No matter how many times I go over it all I still can't figure out why everything changed between us. We seem to be farther from each other now than before, but at times we seem closer than before as well. I was so confused and I can't talk to Naruto about this because he'll just make a big joke about as he does with everything, Shika is great for many things but relationship is not one of them, and Neji is the reason I'm confused so I'm not sure if he's the person I should go to talk about me being confused and unsure what to do.

"What a drag," I sigh as Shika's oh so familiar saying comes to mind. It was the perfect way to describe how I felt right now.

"Hiroko," my sensei calls as she looks up at the tree that I'm always waiting for them in when we have a mission. I hop down and fall in step.

"I'm assigning you to a B rank mission where you will be escorting this man to the village hidden in the Sand." We turn to look and see a boy not too much older than us, but this boy with his green eyes and blue hair was someone I've seen before. I turn and look at the Hokage knowing just how dangerous this mission is.

"I mean no disregard to your judgment Hokage, but this mission is one that we can all die in if you do not assign another team to help us."

"And how would you know this?"

"Because I've seen the death of at least one of my teammates as we are overwhelmed desperately trying to escape. I understand this is hard to believe because the males are the only ones that are-"

"No, I believe you Hiroko," the Hokage says cutting me off mid sentence. "If what you say is true than I shall assign Guy's team on this mission with yours." I was relieved, truly but my mood sunk a little. A mission with Neji was not good with how we are right now. Either way though, a mission is a mission and the Hokage believed me no questions asked.

"Thank you," I say bowing deeply.

"Inform the other members of Guy's team immediately then head off on your mission."

"Hiroko, you get Neji since you need to head over there any ways, Rei you get Tenten, Arata you get Lee, and I'll go get Guy."

"Yes," we all say in response to our orders and disperse immediately to do as we were informed.

"Hiroko," Haishi says as I walk through the front door. "I forgot to tell you this morning that the engagement part will be held when you come back from your mission."

"Thank you," I say nodding my head. "Do you know where Neji is, his team was assigned to this mission and I was ordered to get him?"

"Yes, he's upstairs-"

"Thank you," I say taking off upstairs before he finished what he was saying.

"Neji," I say opening the door before knocking. "Uh…" I trail off as I find Neji with only a towel wrapped around his waist and one around his neck whilehe's drying his hair off.

I'll admit it, while I started at him with wide eyes and a blush it was hard not to find him completely sexy at the moment. He was so attractive and good looking. I hate to admit it, but I am attracted to Neji and it wasn't just because of how good looking he was.

"Aren't you supposed to be out on your mission right now," Neji asks; the first of us to snap out of it and stop staring at the other.

"Uh, yeah but your team is being added on so I came to inform you," I say turning my back towards him before shutting the door behind me since he wouldn't be able to hear me through the door and I needed to talk to him.

"Alright I'll be done in a moment."

"Let's go," Neji says standing behind me ready to go. I sigh when I see him.

"When will you learn to dry your hair properly? It's cold out there today and if you get sick during the mission it can ruin the mission." As I explain this to him partly nagging him, but in a kind caring matter I grab his brush off the dresser and his towel.

I come up behind him and untie his hair to begin drying it off properly, then brush his hair back out for him and tie it at the end.

"For a guy that has longer hair than me I seem to know how to take better care of it and how to take better care of you." I look over his shoulder at him and smile a little, but get a blank look from him. I sigh and just start walking to the gate ignoring him.

"Can Rei ever show up at a place and not be the last one? I mean seriously she's the last one to show up and she's late every day."

"Arata, stop your complaining. Get used to it, Rei doesn't ever show up on time, you know this, and we all know this, now just accept this. She does what she has to do and when it comes to what's important she has our back."

"You're only saying that because she's you partner out on the field."

"Your point," I ask raising an eye brow and dropping my voice a bit. "And remember who saved you when you got captured by the sound ninjas while I was busy holding off the ones not running off with you?" With that comment he shut ups immediately.

"Ah the youth in this group Guy," Lee says to his sensei.

"I know Lee, isn't it beautiful."

"Youth would not be the word I'd use to describe my team Guy. Hiroko, is one of the most mature pupil I know, more so than Arata's cousin Shikamaru. She's what keeps this team together by acting like a parent to these guys while still being a close friend to all of them."

"But don't you sense that excitement in the air and that energy?" I look around the group to see what he was talking about, but all I can see is a group of teens that just wanted to get this over and done with as we waited on Tenten and Rei to show up.

"Sorry for making you guys wait I had to find someone to cover the shop for me," Tenten says as she and Rei showed up.

"Let's go," my sensei says as we head out on the mission.

The walk on the first day went by quick as we all talk amongst ourselves. I held up the back with Rei while Lee and Guy held the front saying that we should walk until tomorrow night. Thankfully my sensei dismissed their idea saying that the person we were escorting wouldn't be able to handle such things. Neji and Tenten talked to each other quietly on one side of the boy who hired us named Yoti with Arata and my sensei on the other side. There was nothing to really report or exciting about this mission so far. We walked and talked watching for any signs of the ninjas I saw that are supposed to attack, but nothing. We honestly might be out sight seeing on this mission.

"Hiroko," my sensei calls suddenly and my head snaps in her direction kunai pulled ready for an attack.

"Was it day or night that you saw Rei getting killed?"

"Day, sensei."

"Two to a watch team in this order; Lee and Arata, Neji and Hiroko, and Rei and Tenten." I sigh mentally to myself; of course she would put me with Neji. She can probably tell that something is wrong between us, she could tell that with Rei and me right off the back and that's why she forced us to work together from the very beginning.

The night carried on very uneventful as well. We started a camp fire and had dinner than put it out and all of us went to sleep except Lee and Arata.

"Hiroko," Arata says softly waking me up.

"Thanks Arata, get your sleep now," I tell him standing up and sitting at the tree with Neji to begin our patrol turn.

"Are you alright," Neji asks out of the blue.

"I should be asking you that. You're not hot and cold towards me anymore, you're just cold now yet you seem to like having me around at night when we go to sleep. Have I grown to just annoy you after you woke up in the hospital? I can't seem to figure out anything past that since we seemed to be getting along before that."

"No."

"Then what is it Neji," I ask turning to look at him pleading with my eyes for him to tell me.

"Why did you wait for me to wake up?"

"I was worried. I thought I was going to lose you. Neji don't you understand that you were in intensive care for over three days?" I could feel myself about to cry as I looked at him so I turned my head away instead.

"Our shifts up," he tells me and it was. We had been standing there for three hours before he finally spoke a word to me.

I shake my head as my shoulders quiver a little. I had to hide the sob just so he didn't see me cry.

"Rei," I say shaking her shoulder to wake her up.

"Hm," she asks rolling over.

"Time for your shift."

"Thanks, hey are you ok," she asks as she gets her first good look at me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lie and she just looks at me for a bit.

"K," she says heading over to Tenten to begin her shift.

I take Rei's spot against a tree since Aratat took my original spot.

"Hiroko," Neji says coming up to me and I turn to look at him. He was sitting in front of me with a look of remorse on his face that caused me to sit up worried something was wrong. Before I can even ask him if he was ok he kissed me. My eyes widen and I pull back and slap him crying harder than before.

"What makes you think you can make me cry then kiss me and think everything is ok," I demand then kiss him myself. He was clearly taken back by it, but it doesn't take him long to kiss me back and wrap his arms around me. When I pull back I look at him.

"Because that's not ok and it's not always going to fix things." He just looks at me for a bit, but he was smiling a little. With neither one of us having anything to really say to each other I lay my head on his chest and fall asleep in his arms.

**AN: I got it out a bit fast, but not that any of you mind. The chapter I'm sure many of you were waiting for. Neji and Hiroko finally together! :D I had fun writing that last part hehe.**


	11. Hiroko Time!

We were on our last day of traveling before we have safely taken Yoti to the Sand village. Nothing has really happened which really worried me. My last vision, the one about the head of my ex-clan's son trying to kill him, did come true. So were the bandits waiting for us to get to Sand Village territory or was my vision really false. No one had really said anything about it, but I think it might be more out of respect than anything.

I sigh to myself as I look to my side and see something reflect off of the canyon way entering Sand territory. As I continue walking with the group I play it off as if I didn't notice anything and throw a Kunai to hear a satisfying solid 'thunk' as a person falls out of his cliff.

In an instants notice my group becomes alert, Neji activating his Byakugan and everyone else prepared for a fight.

"Get him out of here the rest of us will handle everything," I tell the team without looking back as I prepare for a fight. I wanted to try to keep the ninjas as far away as possible from Yoti, so I grab one of the two large shrunken off of my back and scan the area.

"Right by the trees," Neji tell me my unspoken question and I throw the shrunken in that direction. I only killed a few, but most of them scattered away from Yoti and the few that made an attempt for it were quickly being taken care of by Lee and Guy as Rie and Tenten guarded the other side of the entrance with Neji and me protecting the front. "A head," Neji says as I grab for another large shrunken off my back. I make eye contact with Rei as if I'm throwing over in their direction, but then throw it forward catching more of the ninjas off guard and killing more.

"How many more are left," Rei asks.

"At least fifty in front of us and thirty are about to go after your sensei and Arata."

"Rei," I call and nothing more needed to be said.

"Yes," she says and stands behind me as she protects Yoti from that side.

"Show yourself, I dare you cowards," I call to anger the ninjas surrounding us.

"You hear that, she thinks she's scary," one calls and laughs to another, but I was pin pointing their spots.

"Shut up idiot," another calls and as the two began to biker with each other I throw two of my explosive tags in their direction. Just seconds as the tags land they explode.

"Forty three," Neji informs me.

"Distract them," I inform Neji and he does just that. He begins asking silly questions that caused the group to bicker as I disappeared and tried to scout what were up against.

"Where is that girl," one calls out suddenly.

_Shit_, I think to myself as the one that just asked where I was turns around and faces me. It was at that moment that all of them began to come out from their hiding spots.

"Think you're clever, don't you," he asks as he begins to approach me.

"Just as much as you do," I tell him dropping from between the tree branches and join the fighting with the rest of the group. I had set a few more traps which helped some, but we were still greatly over powered right now. These ninjas were highly skilled and this wasn't going to be easy.

"Rei," I call and at an instant she's by my side.

"You ready," she asks knowing exactly why I called her. I nod my head and the two of us stand back to back. It was a move that I picked up from Kiba, but modified it a bit since Rei and I were both Earth based Chakra. Together we claps are hands together and dive into the Earth and twirl around throwing quite a few of the ninjas off the ridge of the canyon. It was a lot like what Kiba and Akamaru white fang technique, but underground. It was meant for disrupting our opponent and give our sensei and Arata time to get away with whatever or whoever we were dropping off.

Rei and I come up on the other side and do it again to go back to where we started, it helped but not as much as I wished. We were still being over whelmed.

"Everyone go help Arata and sensei," I order and those that can look at me weird. "I'll take care of these guys, Yoti is what they want and he's more important."

"That's suicide," someone shouts but I shake my head.

"I'll be fine and will met up with you guys," I say activating my Mikagan. I saw it in the vision and I haven't perfected it, but I was certain I'd be able to do this. I had to do this. Everyone was over whelmed and I couldn't help, but shake a feeling like this was just meant to stall us. I needed to get everyone out; most of them were injured and starting to run low on chakra. If I can pull this off we can get out of here, heal everyone, and still drop Yoti off in time. I just couldn't figure out why they wanted Yoti so much.

When they see my Mikagan activated most were hesitant, but they understood my order and they listened. I wasn't their sensei, but I know that Rei trusts my judgment and me and the others understood that I'm right about what I said. They just didn't want to leave me behind.

"Take Yoti as far away as possible." With that the group rushes up ahead to where my sensei and Arata needed the help. I close my eyes again and activate the full capability of my Mikagan replacing the three rings around my pupil with a ring at the edge of my iris and the center star lines shooting out to the edge of my pupil. The complete form of the Mikagan.

I watched as everyone froze in front of me. A couple of them were slower to freeze because they were farther away and there were still quite a few. It didn't take long for my eyes to begin bleeding either. I take a deep breath and set to work, using my weapons since I can't move from my spot without unfreezing a few of them, I kill them off one by one and a few in large groups with bombs. Finally when they were all killed I release them and fall to one knee exhausted.

.::Neji's POV::.

"Shouldn't we go back for Hiroko," Tenten asks as we stopped where we believe we would be safe. Most of the group was battered and beaten up pretty badly. All of us were low on chakra and Neji doesn't think any of them, including him, could take on another ninja let alone a group of them.

"No," Rei says sternly with a sense of darkness in her voice as she stares down, almost glaring, at the ground. "Hiroko told us to help Sensei and Arata and not to come back. She said she would find us. She wouldn't say that unless she was certain she would come back. Otherwise she would have told all of us to head to Sand Village."

"She made it back before once when saying that too," Arata says sound more hopeful than anything.

"She'll make it Arata," Rei shouts at Arata angered at the fact that Arata even suggested that there could be a doubt otherwise. At that moment though you could see her shoulders shake as a few tears escape her eyes.

Looking at this group Neji could truly see what Hiroko's sensei meant when she said that Hiroko kept this group together and acted like a parent as well as a close friend. Even now as her sensei tried to comfort them but it didn't help any. It truly was Hiroko that was the heart of this group.

.::Hiroko's POV::.

"So are you what they were stalling us for," I ask from my sitting position surrounded by all the dead ninjas bodies. "Why do want Yoti," I demand as I lift my head to see a man with a large sword thrown over his back. I'd seen this man once, he was a missing ninja highly wanted threw out the nations.

"He's bringing a message that could stop a feud between three countries. I want it." I nod my head at the man understanding now why so many people were sent after us.

"And you want to stop this so you could still have some business with the three countries."

"So you'll step aside instead of making me kill you," he asks flashing me a grin.

"Can't my job is to protect him and I can't do that if you get that message." The man's grin drops as I stand up and prepare myself for another fight.

"Unfortchant to have to kill such a pretty woman like yourself." With that said no more conversation was exchanged as he rushes towards me. I close my eyes to activate my Mikagan, but I didn't have enough chakra left. I reopen my eyes just in time to jump out of the way of his sword.

_Two poisoned throwing needles and four kunai left_. I examine my opponent and his movement while dodging his sword. I was low on chakra, almost out of weapons and not in the best of shape. I was cut up a bit and this guy was in perfect shape, had plenty of chakra, and not a scratch on him.

It was there though, I spotted it. He hesitates when he moves to his left side and his sword restricted him from slashing certain ways because of the weight. He only came at me sideways in a slightly downwards strike and there was exactly a twenty second gap between strikes with a fraction of a second more when more weight was required on his left foot.

As the man was about to attack me with his right side I throw a kunai that causes him to halt for a second and put most of his weight on his left side to dodge it, but at that moment of a pause I throw the two poisoned throwing needles at his wrist. Without his wrists he wouldn't be able to fight me with his sword or move them at all. Two of the needles won't kill him but they should make those arms completely useless to him and give me the upper hand.

"Hah," the man laughs at me with a grin. "Did you really think that would work on me?"

"Yes," I tell him with a blank look. I just needed to stall him for a few more seconds and then the poison will be in full motion. As it stood right now it was all ready beginning to numb him which is why he hasn't noticed the needles.

"What do you take me for, an idiot?"

"Yes, but an idiot with a big sword." This angers him, as his face twists in a scowl and he tried to pick up his sword, but he can't. "Don't bother your arms are now completely useless. The object of that kunai wasn't to hit you, but distract you and cause you to stop moving your arms so I could throw my poisoned needles at your wrists. That whole time while you thought I was backing away I was studying your movements. I knew that I wouldn't be able to get close to you with your sword so I take out your sword. And don't bother attacking me with your kick boxing style I've heard about," I tell him throwing a kunai in his left ankle and crippling him to the ground. "So tell me, am I still as stupid as you presumed me," I ask as I take out his right knee and using his own sword decapitates him since my four kunai left wouldn't be able to kill him.

"Now to get back to the group," I sigh as I look up to see that it's now dark and the sky is filled with stars as the moon shined in place of the sun.

.::Neji's POV::.

Everyone was beginning to worry about Hiroko. It was dark out now and still no sign of her. We had already set up watch groups and headed to bed, but Neji was sure no one could sleep. Neji himself couldn't sleep as he lied on the ground worrying about Hiroko. Six hours, that's how much time has paced by since they've last seen Hiroko. Six hours before she told them to leave her behind and protect Yoti. If Hiroko died because of Yoti Neji would despise Yoti for the rest of his life. Neji also wouldn't forgive himself for allowing her to stay back there instead of helping her.

"Guys I see someone!" Everyone sits up immediately.

"Is it Hiroko," Rei demands from Arata.

"I don't know yet," Arata shouts back, but everyone couldn't wait to know.

"Hiroko," The group shouts as they begin to rush up towards her once see her face becomes illuminated by the light from the fire they kept light for her. Neji stays back though smiling to himself at the sight of Hiroko being ok.

.::Hiroko's POV::.

I was about ready to collapse standing on my feet as I was walking towards the faint light of a fire up ahead. I knew I had to get there first though, but my body kept screaming otherwise. I've lost too much blood and was low on chakra. I had only one kunai left after encountering another small group of those ninjas working for the guy with the sword. I just wanted to lie down somewhere, but I knew that I had to return to my group before the sun came up. They had to be worried as it was since its almost mid night now.

"Hiroko," I hear a group of voices shout and I pull my eyes up from the ground and look at the group of people that now surrounded me and were hugging me.

"Hey guys," I say exhausted and without any energy left but I still force a smile on my face for their sake.

"What kept you waiting," Arata asks and I just turn and look at him.

"I had to take out their boss after I finished off the rest of the ninjas. Those guys we fought were only the minions meant to weaken us and stall us for the boss."

"What's with the dry blood running down your face," Rei asks.

"It's nothing. I'll heal everyone tomorrow in the morning before we leave, but right now I need some sleep. I'll take the last shift."

"Just rest Hiroko," my sensei says and I open my mouth for protest, but my sensei just shakes her head no and I don't argue.

"Hiroko," Yoti calls softly as I lie down on the ground.

"Yes," I ask turning my head to look at him.

"Thank you," he says bowing deeply.

"It's my duty as a ninja and that message you're carrying needs to be delivered."

"Message," I hear almost everyone ask. I nod my head.

"It's a peace agreement with the Leaf, Sand, and another nation. The missing ninja we encountered wanted to keep the three nations against each other so that they can continue to get paid." I let the rest of the group continue talking and asking about it and tone them out as I fall sleep with Neji now sitting beside me. I was tired and needed this sleep.

The sun began to hit my face and I was slowly waking up. I turn my head towards the sky as I squint against the sun. I didn't quite feel like getting up since I was comfortably lying with my head on Neji's leg, but I also know I have to.

I stand up and watch as everyone begins to wake up. As they do this, going through a very similar process I had, I grab my water and begin washing the blood off my face.

"How's everyone feeling," my sensei asks and receives a few moans and groans with a couple of goods and all rights.

"I'm feeling great! What about you Guy Sensei," Lee asks.

"Ready for another day!" All of us looked at them with glares as we all silently agree that there was something wrong with those two.

"Then I won't heal you two," I say and turn towards Tenten who was beside me and begin healing everyone. Tenten and Arata were the worse off while sensei and Neji weren't too bad off but still needed to be healed. Once everyone was healed we set off to the Sand Village where we planned on resting for a day and then return back home.


	12. Better than me

**I felt like typing this one, but I also don't want to since it's almost over. I know it's weird, but I hate when I have to type the end and I just finished one of my other stories on my other site. But we have a couple more chapters, maybe four to six depending on how I go about this. But enjoy. And as always I love to hear what you think.**

**~Trisana**

It's two in the morning and we have finally got back from the mission. I was glad I wasn't the one stuck with all of the paperwork and I could just collapse on the bed when I get up to the room. Neji and I were both wiped and since neither one of really had any weapons on us we curl up on the bed without bothering to get dressed or even get under the covers.

"We still have the engagement party tomorrow," I grumble into his back as I curl up next to him.

"Don't remind me," he grumbles just as upset as I was.

The first half of the mission was bad and the worst of it, but a slightly smaller group of even better trained ninjas attacked us on our way back earlier today. Everyone pulled out all the stops and thankfully since we don't have to worry about protecting Yoti it was somewhat easier for us. It didn't make any of us any more willing to get up or do anything tomorrow. Even Lee and Guy were drained after today and I never thought I'd be able to say that.

"What time is the party?"

"Six at night." I sigh at his answer. "But-"

"There's always a but," I sigh again as what little joy just came from that vanished.

"We need to get up at eight to help prepare for the party and get ready.

"That means less than six hours because I'm hungry now which means I'm going to need breakfast to get through the day."

"Then get some sleep," he says holding my arm that's wrapped around him.

Beep, Beep Be-

"Shut up," I grumble turning off the annoying alarm. I hate alarm clocks they're so annoying and just make people annoyed first thing in the morning.

Neji hadn't woken up from the alarm going off so I curl up into him. He was lying on his back his arm wrapped around me with my head on his chest. It eased me a bit everyday when I curled up next to him. I'll admit that my time with Neji over these past few weeks I've grown feelings for him and Neji knows it and I'm guessing that both our squads know it as well. I'm not over Sasuke and I'm not sure if I ever will, but I'm sure that I will grow to love Neji just as much as I have learned to love Sasuke over our years spent with each other. I don't know how long it will take me to love Neji, though after the other night when we were talking to each other I know that Neji still loves me from when we were little kids and that he never did stop.

.::Flashback::.

"What was I like back then," I ask chuckling at the comment he just made about me still having a bad habit of chewing on straws when I was thinking about things.

"Free spirited, you were always determined and hated being told you couldn't do something. You even told me you could do the exact same thing my Byakugan can." We both laugh and I can see Neji getting this far off distant stare in his eyes. He was being open with me right now and it was making him think of all those times we used to share. A couple of them were slowly coming back hazily, but a couple of our memories of growing up were better than still having all of them blocked from me.

"You always said you'd become the best ninja growing up. You didn't want to be Hokage, but you wanted to be the best ninja ever. You were set on it and said nothing was ever going to stop you from doing it." He smiles to himself then pulls his head back to the present.

"You really did love me back then," I ask as I look at him closely.

"I still do."

.::End of Flashback::.

"Hiroko," Neji says shaking my shoulder.

"Mh," I ask opening my eyes.

"It's seven forty."

"Ok," I say as it takes me a moment for my brain to process what he was saying. "Ok," I say more certain this time as to what that meant.

I get up and grab my clothes for the day that I would be wearing throughout the day, but not during the party. Neji and I have fallen into a daily routine of him waking me up, I take the first shower, then he takes his, and then we head downstairs.

"I swear you do this every time because you know it bugs me and that I'll dry it for you," I say not really annoyed at him right now but giving him a hard time with a slight smile. I grab his towel and brush and untie Neji's hair to begin drying his hair for him. I then begin running his brush through his hair as we sit down next to each other. His hair was so soft and silky. A couple of times I've thought of running my fingers through it after brushing it.

"You should just start drying it for me if it bugs you."

"Is that your master plan," I ask looking over his shoulders and at him.

"Maybe," he says teasing me.

"I guess I'll just have to stop drying it for you," I say leaving his hair only half way brushed.

"I don't care," he says standing up.

"Wait, I'm not done," I call chasing after him with the brush in my hand.

"Those two are cute," Hiashi chuckles to Hinata as I chase after Neji who quickened his pace after I started to chase after him.

"They def-defiantly make a go-good co-couple."

"You're enjoying this," I say as I catch up with him. He just smirks at me then kisses me on the forehead.

"You're still just a little girl that frets over anything that bothers you," he says handing me my breakfast bar and taking the brush.

Ever since Neji stopped being hot and cold towards me he's decided on picking on me while still being kind. He made me feel five sometimes like now. It was a completely different side than anything I've ever seen or expect from him. I liked it still. He's agreed to be my new training buddy and with that we could be serous and still he could show me that side of him were we seemed childish and like little kids. I think in a way it was like both our little kid side that we grew up knowing were merging with our grown up now selves.

"Seven forty in the morning and all they wanted us to do was set up for this party that isn't until two more hours and we're done with it." I sigh and sit in one of the chairs, but then look at Neji.

"Want to grab a quick bite then train since we couldn't earlier today?" Neji nods his head and we both head out.

On the way over to the forest we both get a dango to go. Sparing only lasted for maybe twenty minutes before we both agreed we were too tired to be sparing so hard. Instead we spent the rest of our time lying next to each other on the ground gazing at the sky.

"I haven't done this in four months when I was on the roof with Shika. It's nice to just relax."

"Neji," I asked after a bit of silence.

"Hm," he asks still looking at the sky.

"You don't feel as if I'm just using you to replace Sasuke do you?"

"No, I know that I won't be able to replace him and that you'll always love him." I turn and look at him feeling bad suddenly. I know that I will always love him, but I didn't think that Neji would realize that as well. In fact I was hoping he never did so he wouldn't be hurt by that.

"I-" I begin about to say whatever I can to make it not seem so bad but he stops me.

"It doesn't matter to me. All it means is that I'm going to have to make you love me as well and keep you as happy as I'm capable of." I felt like shit. I've always said that Neji doesn't deserve a girl like me and this here makes it just that much clearer of how much I really don't deserve to be with him.

To have a woman that doesn't love you as much as you love them and for her heart to be torn between two men, no man deserves that especially one that wants you knowing that you may never love them like they love you and that your heart doesn't belong only to them. This makes Neji that shining star of a boyfriend or in my case soon to be husband and me worse than a pile of poo.

"You deserve better," I tell him standing up and heading back to the house to get ready and dressed in my formal black and purple kimono for the party tonight.

"Hiroko," Neji says as he comes downstairs dressed in his formal purple kimono.

"You ready," I ask as I offer him my hand so we can head to where they were holding the party. He looks at me for a bit then nods his head and takes my hand.

Slow classical music was playing as Neji and I were sitting in front of everyone with Hiashi and Hinata beside us. According to Neji most of their engagement parties aren't this fancy, but because Neji has been taken in as part of the Head family, or Main Branch as they refer to it as, and that this is to be a peace settling between two clans it's over the top.

About half way through dinner I had a glass of the sake they were serving and from that point on I don't remember what happened at that party. I remember me and Neji dancing to a good beat or two, but everything else is pretty much a blur. I don't think I did anything too stupid. I hope.


	13. Hang Over

I grown as Im barring my head deeper into something that felt soft, but was strong and hard. In response I feel something wrapped around me tighten around my waist. It felt safe and comforting with a nice feeling of rightness. I know it has to be Neji.

Against my better judgment I slowly begin opening my eyes and turn my head to look up at him, but quickly burry my head back into his chest.

"We should be getting up," It sounded like he was yelling with the pounding in my head telling me I had a bad case of hangover.

"Can you please speak quieter," I whisper as I nuzzle closer to him.

"Sorry," he apologizes and begins to move away but I grab his shirt and hold him there.

"Don't move I need you to block the sun for me."

"I was getting you the Hyuuga remedy for hangovers," he says grabbing something off the bed side stand with one arm still around me as I keep myself close to his chest so my eyes aren't killed by the light.

"How did I get drunk off of one drink," I ask him drinking the smoothie like drink and keeping myself hidden as much as possible from the light.

"Hyuuga sake isn't like most. It's much stronger," he spoke with a tone of matter of fact.

"I didn't do anything stupid did I," I asked nervous of the answer. Every time I was drunk I do something stupid. I got drunk with Naruto once and thank goodness we ran into Sasuke who knew what to do when I was drunk after us drinking together a couple times. But by the time Sasuke showed up to save me Naruto and I had already painted half the town after streaking and then painted ourselves. With this bad of a hangover who knows what stupid things I had down.

"You challenged the Head of your clan to a battle for his position." My eyes widen in shock as I look at Neji who had a blush creeping over his cheeks, dusting them in a soft pink.

"What'd he look like," I ask my voice rising, but I didn't care right now mainly because this was huge and partly because the smoothie thing was helping me.

"He had a small pony tail."

"Damien," I growl. It made sense that he became the new Head of the clan since the next in line and the now past Head of the clan are in trouble with the elders. The past Head should be heading to prison thanks to an anonymous tip of his plans against the Hokage. I figured since I wasn't part of the Hashimoto clan any more they couldn't do anything to me. The son is in prison for poisoning and attempt of killing his father.

"How are you going to become the next head of your clan if you're not a Hashimoto anymore?"

"When the rules to this match were written they had written that any one of Hashimoto decadence can challenge the head of the clan for their position. They also wrote that the only time a weapon is permitted is when you go in for a kill shot. These matches usually end with a death of at least one of the challengers. It's rare for both of the challengers to walk away with their lives. It was written that way though to all but guarantee that the Mikagan will be used during battle to ensure that they truly are of Hashimoto decadence."

"So you will be forced to use your Mikangan during this battle," Neji asked and I notice that he's speaking in his normal voice level and it hardly hurt my head.

"I very well could be forced to use it since I will also have to prove that I have the Mikagan to become Head of the clan."

"If woman aren't supposed to have the Mikagan why is he allowing this challenge?"

"Either the past Head of the clan told him when I reveled it to him or he's doing it as a chance to kill me. There are a couple different techniques that allow the holder of the Mikagan to make their opponent almost completely defenseless, unless they have the Sharigan or Mikangan."

"If you defeat him you would be challenging the way of clans in all nations like you've always wanted to." I nod my head.

"I was drunk and stupid when I challenged him, but this can work to my benefits. I think I'm going to need another one of those smoothie things if I want any hope of winning." Neji smirks at this but we head downstairs together.

As we got to the stairs it felt like something was trying to poke at me to remember, but I don't have the slightest idea what it was about. I notice Neji hesitate a bit before descending down the stairs. Could it have something to do with that light blush earlier and this feeling that I should remember something from last night?

.::Neji's POV::.

Every time I look at Hiroko I can't stop thinking about last night. I know that she was drunk, but knowing that doesn't help in any way.

.::Flash Back::.

"That was fun," Hiroko says slurring quite a bit as she spoke.

"Just don't trip over your own feet," I warn her as I guild her upstairs since she refused to let me carry her up them though she tripped over her own feet on our way over here. It was hard to believe that I just got done dancing with her and she was flawless.

"I got this," she slurred and began tripping over the landing. I reach out and catch her before she hurts herself, but she pulls on my arm and pulls me down on top of her. Laughing she looks at me with that rare smile of hers. Since she's been here I've seen it out twice and a couple of half smiles, but those smiles were nothing like this. Her full smile light up her whole face and made her eyes twinkle. She used to smile like this all the time when we were kids. The smile always seemed to light everything around her and make them shine in her light as she glowed in center of it all.

"Neji I have a secret," she slurs just to hiccup at the end of it.

"What," I ask thinking it would be like all the other times she said she had a secret, but it really wasn't a secret at all.

"I think you're sexy," she whispers and as my eyes widen she puts her finger up against my lips.

"Sh, you can't tell anyone. It's a secret." With that she giggled and kissed me on the cheek before getting up and stumbling to the room. I follow behind her still a bit dazed by this.

"Here, get dressed for bed," I tell her coldly so she won't be able to tell just how affected I was by what she told me.

"Are you mad at me Neji," she pouts while holding her clothes in her hand.

"No," I sigh and turned to look at her with the clothes dropped on the floor and her about to crawl into bed only in her under garments. My eyes widen, not just because of the scares that covered her back that I will never be able to get used to no matter how many times I've seen them, but also because of the fact that she was crawling into bed with the intention of sleeping like that.

"Hiroko," say sternly after learning that the best way to get anything through to her when she's drunk is to be stern.

"Yes," she asks looking at me innocently. She looked extremely attractive as she sat there on the bed legs curled in on the side as she had the blanket pulled up slightly. Her body turned so that she can look at me and her head cocked to the side. Even a couple strands of hair fell out of place which seemed to add to her attractiveness. Her figure was curvy and thin, but she didn't come off helpless even now when she was vulnerable. She was always strong and never came off weak in the bit least. It was one of the things I loved about Hiroko.

I mentally shake my head clean of my thoughts and force my voice to be firm and hard while trying not to be harsh.

"You need to get dressed for bed."

"But I am," she said pouting a little as she made it clear she didn't understand what I was talking about.

"You can't go to bed like that," I tell her picking up the clothes she left on the bed and handing them to her. Her pout deepened as she looked at them.

"But those are all hot." She dragged out the word hot as she glared at the clothes then looks at me with pleading eyes. "I just want to sleep in these tonight Neji. Please don't make me change into those." I almost gave into her please, but the thought of how she would react when she wakes up sobered with a hangover makes me decided otherwise.

"Get dressed," I order her and she sighs but listens to me begrudgingly.

.::End of flash Back::.

~Sorry it's a stupid chapter and all, but I promise the next one will be much better. As we see Hiroko back in action again in the fight for control over the clan~


	14. Battle for the Head of the Clan

I look around receiving glares and dirty looks from the very same people that are supposed to be my extended family. I was surrounded in a circle by them with Neji, Naruto, Shika, and my team all at the edge of the circle that surrounded me with Damien standing across from me with the same look everyone but my friends were giving me; discus, rejection, and a wish for my death. In their eyes I was a mistake never meant to happen and even my parents felt that way. I'm a female ninja that didn't know her place and that's how all females are looked upon in my clan.

"The rules are clear no weapons until a death blow," the new second hand man of the clan says.

"Yes we know Michi," I reply nodding my head and earning myself a nasty glare. I sigh used to this treatment and just ignore it. What else is to be expected?

"Go," Michi says and in an instant Damien was already activating his Mikangan to its first stage.

"Disgrace, have you ever heard of how the Mikangan can take away memories," Damien asks as he takes a measured step closer towards me.

"Yes, but that is banded from these fights," I say narrowing my eyes as I take my own measured step forward.

"Yes any Hashimoto knows that, but bringing back erased memories isn't."

"Where do plan on doing with this," I demand as I stand my ground watching him carefully.

The second stage of the Mikangan is the only level that allows a Hashimoto to erase memories, but I've never heard of erased memories being brought back. Once aware of the fact that your memories have been erased a few of the erased memories that held great significant can be slowly brought back, but they don't all come back and those that do are fuzzy. How could he bring my erased memories back?

"What do you think Disgrace?" I study his every movement he doesn't move except when he blinks his eyes are at the second stage. For most this is as far as the general population of holders of the Mikangan gets, but his second stage was odd. Typically the star is still completely in the circle when it's in the second stage, but he has a single line that goes past the circle.

The second that I allowed for me to look into his eyes was the worst mistake I could make because in the second that I was looking into his eyes he had all the time he needed for me to fall into his trap. In that second all of the memories of my time with Neji and the Hyuuga clan came crashing down on me as if someone was stuffing my brain with countless information. It was over whelming and the only thing I had to compare it to would be when I was being marked by the Hyuuga clan. The amount of pain as it was being hammered into your head as you head slowly began splitting apart. At least that's what it felt like.

It brought me to my knees as I gasped ragged panting breaths, but I was used to this pain to an extent and I can force myself to stay awake and alert and not let my guard down, but one memory pulled me in.

.::Flash Back::.

"Hiroko you're going to get hurt!" I look down at Neji with a smile as I climb higher and I'm balancing on a top branch.

"Watch this," I call as I flip backwards and then do three flips as I begin to fall back to the ground.

I had no idea I could do that. **(Underlined parts are the current day Hiroko)**

As I got closer to the ground Neji began to frantically line up to catch me afraid I was going to hurt myself. I knew what I was doing though. I was fine, still as I got closer to the ground I allowed Neji to catch me for his own sanity. The force of him catching me caused both of us to fall backwards with me landing on top of him.

I giggle as I looked at how panicked he seemed.

"I'm fine," I tell him kissing him on the lips.

That was not an everyday peck on the lips for a best friend! That was a I like you much more than a best friend kiss! Was I dating Neji when we were younger?

"I can't wait to become your wife Neji. I love you."

I stare at the scene that stood before me shocked, unable to even think or process anything at the moment.

"Hiroko," I hear three shrill voices cry out and instantly I'm pulled back into reality and the percent.

.::End of Flashback::.

Damien was just about to go in for his kill shot, but before he could an instinct that I had long lost caused me to flip back knocking the kunai out of his hand as well. As I land perfectly on my feet I glare at Damein.

"What a dirty trick and you call me the disgrace."

"At least I know my place," he says rushing towards me, but his form was far too sloppy. I step out of the way and in a flowing movement I pin him to the ground and pull out a kunai.

"Obviously not, because I win." I throw Damein off to the side. I stand up and face the rest of my clan that stares at me in shock. A couple where murmuring amongst themselves, but out of the few that where murmuring one suddenly shouted out;

"Do you even have a Mikangan?"

"What a disgrace," the Head of the clan that should be on his way to be reunited with his son suddenly shouts as he walks his way towards me.

"To be beaten by a woman and no less one as pathetic as this one," he scoffs. "You have no right to even live as you carry the Hashimoto title." In silence everyone watches as the past Head kills Damien in cold blood.

"You aren't head of the clan yet and so long as I live you never will be." I smirk at him as I ready for another fight.

"Are you telling me to kill you because I'd gladly do so?"

"I might be old but you will not defeat me. This is my clan and I will not let you ruin it." I scoff.

"What's there to ruin?" This really pissed off the past Head and a couple of the people in the crowd.

I was going to wait for his move to see what he would do. I've never fought him before, but if his fighting style was anything like how he beats me it will be ruthless and for the kill, something he showed a few moments ago when he killed his right hand man without so much as a blink of an eye.

He made his move planning on using a fire jutsu. As quickly as I can I begin to start my own jutsu to summon a wall of earth as his fire ball crashes up against the wall. I wait for the fire ball to come to an end, but right as it comes to an end I can hear someone behind me a few feet.

Blankness that's all I can see. Not a sound to be heard or an object to be to be seen. All there was, was darkness. It was a clan ability banded from ever being used unless that person was on a mission. It has been documented that only six people have ever mastered this ability and among them is the past Head.

Knowing that if I just sit around and watch everything happen I will surely meet my end in less than a few seconds I close my eyes and activate my Mikangan in its true form. It was the only thing that could free me of this death trap.

I bring my hand up stopping the kunai only a few centimeters from my face in between my fingers. I glare down the kunai to the man that held it fighting against me.

"It's time you die old man," I say taking the kunai out from his grasp and throwing the kunai into his heart.

The whole crowd was silent for a bit before Naruto bursts out hooting and hollering.

"You got to teach me how you did that back flip earlier and that fancy cool kunai stealing trick!" I chuckle at Naruto and smile at my friends that came up to me. Once my friends quiet down I drop my smile and look up at the crowd around me and with an authoritative voice that forces everyone to look at me and listen to what I'm saying.

"I'm not going to let this clan continue that way it has been. Many of you resent me for the simple fact that I have defied and rejected the way our clan thinks and runs, but I will not be a good girl that stands by and accepts everything that happens. Our clan is not right and I know many of you see this, but are too afraid to do anything about it, so for those that have been afraid to speak out and stand by your believes _I_ will do it for you."

"We can't continue on the way we have. Today by standing here and having been able to prove that I can easily kill those that claim to be the mightiest and best of the clan I have shown to you that they clearly did not know what was best for the clan and that they are not the mightiest. We have claimed for years that women in our clan cannot inherit the Mikangan, but if that was true then why do I stand before you wielding the strongest of our stages of the Mikangan? I believe it is time that we move away from the teachings of our ancestors and move into a new way of thinking that fits the time we are in. Women of our clan are to no longer be beaten and the archives are open to all who seek knowledge. The women of this clan will be allowed to become ninjas and this clan will be one of acceptance. If there is a problem we will handle it and not with violence, but as civilized and non barbaric people. We will also mend our relationships with the clans instead of worsening them to where it leads to a possibility of a war."

"I do not care if some of you object to my decisions because you prefer the way it once was, this is for the beset and if you have problems with it take it up with me." With my speech done I turn to my group of friends and begin walking out of my clan compound with a blank look on my face.

"I'm thinking of heading out for BBQ what do you guys think," I ask turning around with a grin towards my friends now that we're out of my clan's compound.

"No lets get ramen!"

"BBQ sounds good," Rei says linking arms with me and the others mumble in agreement and begins walking with me and Rie.

"Wait up guys," Naruto shouts as he runs to catch up with us.


	15. I Want to be Happy

"I swear that one is a dragon. I mean it this time even you will see the dragon," I tell Shika as we're lying side by side staring at the clouds. I was trying to convince him that not every cloud I see is dragon just because of the fact that I had no imagination and that the clouds I see really are in fact dragons.

"For once you are right," Shika says and I smile at him.

"See I'm not insane."

"No but I am for keeping you around." I looked at him my smile gone as I gave him a fake 'I'm hurt' look.

"Well I have to get back to paperwork. The clan changes have been keeping me on my toes and I've been lucky to get this much time off." I stand up and begin walking off.

"Hiroko," Shika calls and I turn to look at him over my shoulder. "Are you really ok? The closer the wedding gets it seems like the farther you get from everyone." I sigh and run my fingers through my short hair. It was a dead giveaway of how I truly feel.

"No I'm not. I'll be fine though, it's just been alot to take in." Shika stares at me for a bit then turns and lies back down and stares at the clouds.

"I'll see you tomorrow at your wedding."

The day before my wedding day, I should be happy right? Then why is it I feel so miserable? I should be happy and celebrating. Hell I have all of my previously erased memory back I have the perfect kimono picked out for the wedding that Hinata and Rie helped me pick out the other day, along with the kimonos I will have to wear during the reception. My clan is slowly falling into the new way of how I'm running it and Neji and I have grown closer, but I feel so… wrong inside. Nothing seems to be right.

I can't sit at my desk doing paper work; I needed to clear my head and the only way to do that is to train. In the past two weeks or so I haven't been able to get a single day of training in and I think that might be part of why I feel off, but I know what the cause is; Sasuke.

Arriving to the training ground I instantly begin to punch at the thick tree trunk. I would scream at it every now and again and when my knuckles began to bleed it didn't bother me in the least. In fact my knuckles bleeding only seemed to edge me on further.

"You're supposed to be here you ass!" I shout punching the tree with every word that I spoke. "What happened to our plans? What happened to us sticking together no matter what? This was supposed to be our time! This is supposed to be our_moment_!" I scream at the top of my lungs and let a single tear slid down my cheek, but that single tear was quickly followed by thousands of others.

"We always talked about you and me and the day I become the head of my clan! You were supposed to be there for me you ass! You're supposed to be by my side! And I'm supposed to be by your side! I'm the one that's meant to stand by your side as you kill Itachi! So why did you leave me?" the very last part comes out just barely above a whisper as my forehead leans up against the tree and slowly I slide down the side of the tree. I pull my knees up to me and just ball my eyes out unable to stop the tears from falling.

"Hiroko," Neji calls softly sounding not too far away from me. I don't reply, but I punch the tree with all my might and force the tears down as I stand up and watch the tree fall off to my left. "Hiroko," Neji says sounding relieved as he comes up but the moment of relief fleeting as he gets a good look at me.

My eyes by now had to be bloodshot and an angry puffy red. My face must be tear streaked and splotchy. With how hard I've been crying my nose was without a doubt runny. I probably looked horrible right now.

"I'm fine." I turn my head away from him and hop onto the fallen tree ready to take off.

"Why are you running away," Neji asks grabbing my hand.

"Why stay," I ask him without looking back at him.

"For your clan, for Naruto, for Shikamaru, For Rei, for Arata, for me," the' for me' part was extremely quiet and I almost couldn't hear it.

"I don't even know what I want any more." I close my eyes as a few more tears fall from my eyes. "The clan still hates my guts, I've lived a life that I've never known, I'm forced into a marriage with you when you deserve better and that I've never wanted, and the person I trust the most and love has left me. I don't want to be here and if I leave you could finally get a person that you deserve because you sure as hell don't deserve someone like me. You deserve better."

"The clan hates you right now, but the clan needs you. You're the only thing standing in its way from continuing on its path of destruction. Sasuke left you and I know how much it hurts to be abandoned by the one you love and to feel that lost and thinking of how things are supposed to happen because the one person you love and trust the most has left you. What you don't know that I do is having to walk around everyday seeing that person around forbidden to ever talk to them and they have no clue of who you are, but Sasuke does know who you are and is planning on coming back for you after he kills Itachi because he loves you and wants you. He views your life too valuable though so he's not putting you in harm's way. That's more than I ever got when you left. You're right though I don't deserve you, but it's not that I deserve better because I don't. It's you that deserves better." I look at Neji crying as he talks. His face was stern and he didn't give me an inch to stand on.

"I'm so confused." I collapse into Neji's chest crying into it as I clutch his shirt, something I've done a lot of lately. "I care so much about you, but while I've grown strong feelings for you and it's more than you just being one of my guys. I still love Sasuke. I'm so hurt and angry at him, but I understand why he did it and I will never stand in his way. I just feel abandoned by him and nothing is as it's supposed to be. I feel as if everything I do is wrong and I don't get how you can say you love it and I know how you truly mean it when you say it, but why?" I look up at Neji pleading with my eyes for him to make everything make sense and the pain to go away.

Neji looks down at me with simpatico eyes that were empathetic. He wrapped his arms around me being my rock again as he picks me up and lies me down in his lap while he sits on the fallen tree. He slowly runs his fingers through my hair. He doesn't say anything for a while as he just lets me calm down and gain my composer again.

"I can say I love you because I've always loved you and never stopped. I have loved you since the very first day I met you and will love you for the rest of my life as destiny had made it." I look up at him to find him staring off into the distance a head much as I had just been doing. Feeling my eyes on him he looks down at me. I lift my hand up to his face with only my fingertips touching his face softly before letting my hand fall down to my stomach.

"What is destiny anymore," I mumble to myself as I just stare into his lavender eyes and he stares right back into my dark blue eyes.

"Can… I kiss you," I ask hesitantly and unsure if I should. He doesn't say anything to me, but I watch as he begins to lean down towards me and when he gets within a few centimeters from me I close my eyes and close the gap between us with my lips.

It was a slow soft kiss as I tried to explain everything I felt in this one kiss. I was so confused and hurt, but I truly do care for Neji and I really do like him a lot. I don't love him the way he loves me, but I know that I do need to move on. Sasuke will come back for me I know that and believe it with all my heart, but I don't know when he will and I want to be happy. Neji can make me happy and he does.


	16. Wedding Day

**Sadly I must say that the next chapter of this will be the last chapter of this story. *sniffle sniffle* It's sad I always feel like I'm losing a friend after I type the end at the end of a story. I was thinking of maybe making a sequel, but I have no idea what it would be about so if you want a squeal and have an idea just tell me it. I promise you will get credit for the idea of the plot.**

I nuzzle my nose into Neji's neck and smile as I breathe in his scent. It smelt a little like the woods from all his time in the woods training.

"We should get going. We both need to get ready for the wedding," Neji says softly as he shakes my shoulder a bit.

I don't really want to get up right now. I was conferrable lying next to Neji curled up in his arms with about half my body on top of his. He was my warmth against the cold misty morning air that filled these woods. He also protected me from the cold harsh reality of everything. In this clearing there was just the two of us and the comfort that came with Neji's presence. Outside of this clearing is the reality of everything that has happened and that today I would have to be getting married. I didn't want to get up and leave. No, I'd much rather just spend my time here today and say that I got married to the man I'm lying with as he wraps his arms around me.

I sigh to myself and slowly force myself to get up. I look at Neji as he gets up.

"Can we take the long way," I ask wanting to prolong this as long as can be.

"If you want," Neji says taking my hand. I smile to myself and lean my head tiredly as we walk.

.::Flashback::.

I pull back from my kiss with Neji. Our kiss had been a soft almost hesitant kiss, but there was more passion in it than ever before. And as I look at Neji I can't help but smile a true genuine smile with soft caring eyes.

"You should smile like that more often," Neji say cupping my cheek. I close my eyes and turn my face in towards his palm.

"I'll try to," I tell him and I open my eyes again to look at him. I turn my head a bit more in towards his palm and while looking at him I kiss his palm.

Neji leans in towards me and before I can understand what's going on his lips touch mine. He seemed to be more certain now that he knew I wanted to kiss him and share in our feelings together. I close my eyes and lean in towards the kiss. My lips moved with his, they seemed to know what they were doing. It seemed almost as if they had done this many times before. I pull back and look at Neji.

"Have we shared kisses like this once before?"

"A couple times, when we were younger." I nod my head.

"I like the feel of it," I smile and lean in to share more kisses with Neji.

.::End of Flashback::.

I sigh dejectedly to myself as we stand outside of the Hyuuga compound. I didn't want to go in. It was the last thing I wanted to do in fact.

"Come on," Neji says pulling me forward. I follow along unwillingly.

"There you two are," Hiashi says stopping mid stride of pacing back and forth. "Do you know that half of the clan is out looking for you two?" He was clearly upset for him to raise his voice in such a manner.

"I'm sorry Hiashi; we didn't mean to cause such an up roar. Neji and I had gone off to the forest last night and accidentally fallen asleep. We came straight here as soon as we woke up." This seemed to calm him down some as he sighed to himself.

"I'll call off the search parties, you two just go start getting ready and go soak." Neji and I bow before going to do as we were instructed.

I liked soaking in the bath for two hours. It was great for the body to just relax and unwind and it gave me plenty of time to just think and relax in my mind. It was also great for going over the clan paperwork as I was doing now. I got so much paperwork done I was certain to be able to not worry about it throughout the rest of the day.

I smile to myself as I step out of the tub all pruned from soaking so long. I grab the robe that was put off to the side for me and wrap it around me. I was unsure where to go after soaking, but I figured it had to be like last time where I go to Neji's and my room.

"Hey Hiroko," a cheery girl says as she walks in. She looked familiar.

"Aiko," I ask making sure.

"You remembered," she beams at me.

"You my makeup artist again," I ask remembering how great of a job she had done last time.

"Yep," she smiles, but this time it doesn't seem to quiet make it to her eyes. I look at her trying to figure out what it was that kept her from smiling genuinely. I turn around and sit down ready for her to begin her job.

"You smile, but you're upset, why?"

"So you noticed," she tails off still not answering my question.

"Aiko," I prompt with a stern voice pushing for her to continue.

"Do you love him," She asks suddenly. It takes a moment for what she says to register because she spoke so lowly I had to make sure I actually heard her correctly.

"Do I love him," I ask almost just as quietly. I lift my head a little as she works on my hair so that I can see her face. Aiko wasn't cheery like she usually is. She was upset and I think it had to do with Neji and me getting married.

"I don't love him yet, but you do." Aiko nods her head causing me to sigh.

"I promise that I will make Neji as happy as I can."

"He always loved you, you know. When you came around as a little kid I knew that you would be the one that he marries."

"Ak-" I try to speak but she shakes her head.

"When you lost your memory it devastated him, but when you were to get married to him he was so happy. Over this month I've watched you change a lot, but last night something truly changed in you. What caused it?"

I don't even know the answer to that myself. I know what she was talking about, just not the cause. I'm still upset that Sasuke is gone and has left me here, but I think making that choice to try and still be happy and to live my life with Neji changed something within me. I'm still under a boulder of stress and responsibilities, but it doesn't feel as heavy today.

"I honestly don't know," I tell her not lying but not letting her in on my theory either.

"Well let's get you ready for you big day," she says smiling at me and working her magic.

**(I'm sorry but I really don't feel like going through the long process of the traditions that go with a traditional Japanese wedding so I'm going to skip that part)**

I look at Neji exhausted after the reception. It was so long and tiring after all of the songs and speeches. I just wanted to lie down and relax, but Neji and I needed to start packing because we were moving into the house for the head of the Hashimoto clan.

"Just a few minutes," I ask Neji while taking off my Tsuno Kakushi. **(It's like a hat that is worn by the bride to show her obedience to her husband.)**

"Get some rest you're a bit drunk after all of the Sake you drank."

"I'm fine, this is usual for me," I tell him as I sit up and head towards the dresser to grab my clothes and weapons. As I stand up I trip over my toe and begin falling forwards with my head aimed smack down at the edge of the dresser.

"You're such a klutz," Neji says smirking down at me as he holds me in his arms pressed securely to his chest. I look up at him, blushing a hundred shades of red. It was so embarrassing being saved by him again.

"Just because you promised obedience to me doesn't mean you have to," Neji says standing me up straight and walking away from me coldly.

"I thought we were pass this already," I turn around demanding from him an answer as I stand with my hands on my hip fixing him with a hard glare. Neji looks at me and I repeat myself, but a bit kinder as I smirk at him. "I thought we were passed this already." Neji doesn't reply to me with words, but with a smile.

"You're my wife, I don't think anything is going to be over with." I smirk back at him in full agreement.


	17. Too Late

**5 years after the Wedding**

I sigh as I lean back in my chair looking at the pile of paperwork in front of me. A lot has changed since five years ago. The Hyuuga clan and Hashimoto clan were allies now and the clan has adjusted to the rules I had put in place when I became head of my clan. A lot of girls have joined the academy to become ninjas. There are still some confrontations as to be expected, but over all things are great.

"Hiroko." That voice, no there's no way. It can't really be him. It's been so long. It has to be though; it was so cold and distant yet held warmth to it as it spoke my name.

"Sasuke," I breathe out as I turn my head to look at him.

His eyes, they were changed. Sasuke's eyes had always been cold and hateful to the world, but this was different. There was an intensity behind them that had never been there before this. He didn't have the slightest hint of warmth in his face either as he looked at me. He wasn't the same any more, but neither was I.

"I promised you that I'd come back for you."

"I know you did," I smile at him as I get up out of my seat and embrace him in a hug. He was really stiff at first, but he relaxes as he wraps his arms around me and holds me close to him.

"Pack your stuff; I'm not letting you out of my sight." I pull back and look at him without pulling out of the embrace.

"It's not that simple any more Sasuke a lot of things have changed since when you left."

"You don't love me anymore," his voice changes to a certain deadness to it that entrapped everything within ear shot of him.

"I will always love you Sasuke, but I can't just pack up my life and leave you any more, though I almost did so that I could go after you. I have a life now Sasuke and my clan and family need me, I can't do that. I have a daughter that is almost a year old and I can't just leave her and Neji behind. I'm sorry Sasuke." I look at him with sad eyes. I still love Sasuke and I will always love him, but I can't throw away my whole life.

"No, I'm the one that came too late." He turns away from me, but I turn his face towards me and kiss his cheek softly. I watch in silence as Sasuke hops out of my open window and leaves me for yet another time.

"Hiroko," Neji calls and I turn around and face him with a smile.

"Is everything alright," he asks his voice turning hard as he looks at me. I nod my head silently and wipe away a tear that broke free.

"Just a visit from an old friend," I tell him. He scrutinizes me for a bit, but nods his head and lets it go.

**~The End~**


End file.
